The Surya Drona Tech 2025 event kicked off today at Jaswant Ground inside the Dehradun Cantonment with a lot of excitement and energy. The Governor of Uttarakhand, Lt General Gurmit Singh (Retd), officially opened the two-day event in the presence of many senior Army officers and other important guests.
Lieutenant General Anindya Sengupta, who leads the Central Command of the Indian Army, was also there along with top military leaders and civilian dignitaries. This big gathering marked a major step in India’s journey toward becoming more self-dependent in the area of defence technology.
This special event is being organized by the Indian Army’s Central Command along with the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers, also called SIDM. It’s a two-day exhibition that is all about showing new and powerful drone technologies made right here in India. These drones are built to be used in many defence operations, and the event supports the national idea of “Atmanirbhar Bharat,” which means a self-reliant India.
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The program started with a warm welcome speech by RS Bhatia, who is the President of SIDM. He opened the event by setting the mood for a day filled with ideas, partnerships, and exciting technology. After this, Milind Raj gave a talk about how India is growing fast in drone technology and what it means for the country’s future. Other talks during the day also explained how warfare is changing and how drones are now becoming very important not only in defence but also in helping common people during emergencies or other situations.
Talks About India’s Future with Drones
After the talks, Lieutenant General Anindya Sengupta, who heads the Central Command, gave a strong and serious speech. He shared how drone technology is becoming a must in today’s military work and said India is right at the edge of a big change in defence.
According to Garhwal Post, he said “The integration of drone capabilities is no longer optional—it is imperative. Surya Drone Tech 2025 stands as a testament to our cooperation for collective progress, harnessing technology and preparedness for the future.” His words made it very clear how important it is for India to keep moving forward with new technology in the defence world.
Next, the Governor gave his keynote speech where he shared how new technologies like drones are not just important for the army but for many areas like farming, rescue operations, and building work. He said, “Drone technology has the potential to transform not only our defence but also sectors like agriculture, disaster management and infrastructure.”
He also said, “I am proud that Uttarakhand is hosting such a futuristic and technological event benefitting both the state and the nation.” He praised the event and said the teamwork between SIDM and the Indian Army’s Central Command is a great example of how India and the Army are preparing for a stronger future.
Live Drone Demonstrations
One of the most exciting moments of the day was when they showed the “Official Equipment Catalogue,” which includes all the latest and most modern drones and their features. Guests also exchanged mementos, which showed a feeling of teamwork and respect among all the leaders and guests. Later in the evening, everyone enjoyed a live drone demonstration where the drones flew at night using thermal imaging. This showed how strong and ready these Indian drones are for future wars and serious missions.
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People visiting the exhibition got to see different types of drones up close. The Chief Guest, the Governor, took a full tour of the stalls where companies and developers showed their work. These included drones with new features for night flying and others that are useful in tough battle zones or natural disasters.
The main goals of this event are to test different drone models, find out which ones are doing the best, and give the makers advice so they can make their drones even better. The Indian Army also wants to use what they learn from this expo to plan for the future, improve their buying decisions, and make sure Indian drones are always ready to work day and night.
Many top army officers also came to the event, like Lieutenant General Navin Sachdeva, who is the Chief of Staff of Central Command, Lieutenant General Sandeep Jain, who leads the Indian Military Academy, and other officers like Lieutenant General DG Misra, Major General Naveen Mahajan, and Major General R Prem Raj. Their presence made the event even more important and showed how serious India is about building a stronger future with home-grown defence technology.
