Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has formed a strategic alliance with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI), a US-based company, to manufacture Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) remotely piloted aircraft systems in India for the country’s armed forces. This partnership was announced on Friday.
As part of the agreement, L&T will act as the prime bidder in the Ministry of Defence’s forthcoming procurement programme, which aims to acquire 87 MALE RPAS units, while GA-ASI will serve as the technology partner. The collaboration will facilitate the local production of GA-ASI’s MQ-series drone platforms in India, including technology transfers to comply with the indigenous content requirements under the Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives.
GA-ASI brings extensive experience in unmanned aerial systems, particularly through its Predator line, which has accumulated over 9 million flight hours globally in surveillance and strike operations. Meanwhile, L&T contributes its engineering and precision manufacturing expertise in the defence and aerospace sectors.
This partnership signifies a notable advancement in Indo-US defence cooperation, aiming to bolster India’s self-reliant defence manufacturing ecosystem. With a revenue of $30 billion, L&T has held leadership positions across its core businesses for eight decades.
S N Subrahmanyan, Chairman and Managing Director of L&T, asserted that the partnership would enhance India’s defence capabilities and promote self-reliance in aerospace technologies. Dr. Vivek Lall, Chief Executive of General Atomics Global Corporation, noted that the collaboration aligns with India’s vision for fostering indigenous manufacturing in the aerospace sector.
As a point of market interest, shares of Larsen & Toubro Limited were trading at ₹4,045, an increase of ₹57.50 or 1.44 percent on the NSE as of 12:12 pm today. On the previous trading day, shares reached their 52-week high at ₹4,062.60.
Published on October 31, 2025.
