Resources Categories
INDUSTRY FACT FILE · DRONES, ROBOTICS & AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS
Market Landscape and the Drivers of Cybersecurity Demand in Drones
The business, technology, regulatory, legal and statutory forces that create testing, audit, monitoring and response work for drone makers, operators, robotics firms and fleet software providers.
|
In this document 1. Market landscape 2. Business drivers 3. Technology drivers 4. Regulatory drivers: Drone Rules, certification, CERT-In and DPDP 5. Legal and statutory drivers 6. How the drivers differ by organisation type 7. What this means for buyers and for Codec Networks |
1. Market landscape
India's drone market has been shaped deliberately by policy since 2021. Liberalised Drone Rules, a single-window Digital Sky platform, a certification scheme run through QCI-approved bodies, a prohibition on imported drones with listed exceptions, a ₹120 crore PLI scheme and the Drone Shakti push announced in the February 2022 Budget, which encourages start-ups to offer drone-as-a-service and promotes Kisan drones for crop assessment, land records and spraying, have together built a domestic industry of manufacturers, component makers, training organisations and service providers. Government demand is large: SVAMITVA village surveys, the Namo Drone Didi scheme for 15,000 women's self-help groups, infrastructure inspection and security uses all buy drones and services. By February 2025, 30,450 drones had been registered and 23,410 remote pilot certificates issued. Robotics is an adjacent and growing market: India installed a record 9,120 industrial robots in 2024 according to the IFR, led by the automotive industry, and warehouse automation is spreading with e-commerce and organised logistics.
Cybersecurity demand follows five pressures. Customers: utilities, infrastructure owners, government departments and large enterprises ask drone and robotics suppliers for security evidence, VAPT reports and data handling commitments before they award contracts. Trust in the supply chain: after reported Indian restrictions on Chinese-made components in military drones in 2023, US guidance in 2024 and the US FCC's December 2025 Covered List decision on foreign-produced drones, buyers want to know where components, software and data come from and go. Navigation and safety: confirmed GPS spoofing near Delhi's airport and interference reports from other major airports in 2025 make navigation resilience a board-level concern for delivery and BVLOS operators. Regulation: CERT-In's six-hour reporting and audit guidelines, the DPDP Act and, for exporters, the EU Cyber Resilience Act turn good practice into obligations, and the draft Civil Drone Bill of September 2025 signals tighter oversight. Scale: fleet clouds, robots-as-a-service and remote operations concentrate risk. Most firms are lean engineering businesses that rely on external testers, auditors, SOC providers and responders for depth.
|
15,000 Drones for women SHGs under Namo Drone Didi (2023) |
3.20 lakh Villages surveyed by drone under SVAMITVA (Apr 2025) |
52,570 Operational industrial robots in India, 2024 (IFR) |
Sep 2025 Draft Civil Drone Bill released for consultation |
|
Market segment |
Landscape and buying behaviour |
Cybersecurity opportunity |
|
Drone manufacturers |
Domestic makers scaling under PLI and import restrictions, selling to government and enterprise |
Firmware and update security, product VAPT, supply chain evidence |
|
Component and payload makers |
MSMEs and specialist firms supplying controllers, radios and sensors |
Embedded security testing, SBOMs, supplier assurance |
|
Survey, inspection and agricultural services |
Many small operators working for utilities, government and farmers |
Ground station testing, imagery protection, DPDP, awareness |
|
Delivery and autonomous fleets |
Venture-funded firms moving to BVLOS and docked operations |
Fleet cloud and API testing, navigation resilience, SOC |
|
Robotics and warehouse automation |
Indian and global integrators serving automotive, e-commerce and logistics |
OT and robot cell assessments, vendor access reviews, IEC 62443 |
|
Fleet and traffic software |
SaaS platforms serving many operators and robot fleets |
Multi-tenant testing, cloud reviews, managed SOC |
2. Business drivers
|
Business driver |
Buying trigger |
Relevant services |
|
Winning government and enterprise tenders |
Buyers ask for security questionnaires, VAPT reports and data terms |
Product VAPT, CERT-In empanelled audits, evidence packs |
|
Proving trusted components and software |
Provenance and trusted-source clauses in tenders and export deals |
Supply chain assessments, SBOMs, firmware reviews |
|
Scaling to BVLOS, delivery and docks |
Remote operations make links and consoles safety-critical |
Fleet cloud testing, navigation resilience testing, SOC |
|
Keeping robot fleets running |
Downtime in warehouses and plants carries SLA penalties |
OT segmentation, vendor access review, recovery testing |
|
Protecting clients' imagery and data |
Utilities and governments worry about site imagery leaks |
Cloud storage review, DPDP programmes, access control |
|
Exporting to regulated markets |
EU CRA and RED, and US authorisation rules for drones |
Product security programmes, vulnerability handling |
|
Raising capital and partnering |
Investors and partners run technical due diligence |
Maturity assessments, ISO 27001 readiness |
3. Technology drivers
|
Technology driver |
Exposure created |
Codec Networks opportunity |
|
Firmware and over-the-air updates |
Tampered or unsigned updates reaching every unit |
Firmware review, signing and secure boot testing |
|
Command, telemetry and video links |
Interception, hijacking and weak pairing |
Link and RF security testing, configuration reviews |
|
GNSS and sensor fusion |
Loss or falsification of position information |
Authorised navigation resilience testing in controlled environments |
|
Ground control apps and pilot devices |
Malware, shared accounts and unmanaged phones |
Mobile and desktop app testing, device hardening |
|
Fleet clouds, APIs and data platforms |
Console takeover, tenant isolation failures, data leaks |
Cloud and API VAPT, SOC monitoring |
|
Robot controllers, ROS and AMR fleets |
Message injection, exposed controllers, vendor tunnels |
OT and robot cell assessments, IEC 62443 reviews |
Figure 3: The four groups of drivers behind cybersecurity spending in drones, robotics and autonomous systems.
4. Regulatory drivers: Drone Rules, certification, CERT-In and DPDP
|
Instrument |
Key requirements |
|
Drone Rules 2021 (as amended) and Digital Sky |
Registration and UINs, remote pilot certificates through authorised training organisations, airspace zones and permissions, penalties; safety features to be notified with lead time |
|
Certification Scheme for UAS (2022) |
Type certificates issued by DGCA on the recommendation of QCI-approved certification bodies for drones operated in India, except nano and model drones |
|
DGCA GNSS interference circular (2023) and SOP (2025) |
Mitigation, contingency procedures and threat monitoring; real-time reporting of GNSS interference around Delhi's airport |
|
CERT-In Directions (2022) and audit guidelines (2025) |
Six-hour incident reporting; 180-day ICT logs in India; risk-based independent audits including OT and ICS |
|
Draft Civil Drone (Promotion and Regulation) Bill 2025 |
Proposed standalone law for civil drones, released for consultation in September 2025; track its progress and any rules made under it |
|
DPDP Act 2023 and Rules 2025 |
Safeguards, retention limits and breach intimation for personal data in imagery, apps and records; most obligations from May 2027 |
|
Confirm applicability Obligations depend on what you make, import or fly, drone categories and permissions, whether you integrate robots in customers' plants, the customers and countries you serve, listing status and contracts. Confirm against the official instruments and your agreements. |
Figure 4: Legal and regulatory timeline shaping drone and robotics security, as of October 2026.
5. Legal and statutory drivers
|
Law or obligation |
Relevance |
Demand created |
|
Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024 |
Primary aviation law under which drone rules are made, in force from 1 January 2025 |
Compliance records, certification evidence |
|
Drone Rules, 2021 and amendments |
Registration, pilot certificates, permissions and penalties |
Record integrity, Digital Sky account security |
|
Foreign Trade Policy and DGFT import notification |
Prohibition on drone imports with exceptions |
Component and supply chain provenance reviews |
|
IT Act, 2000 |
Offences such as unauthorised access and computer-related fraud |
VAPT, incident response, forensics |
|
DPDP Act, 2023 and Rules, 2025 |
Personal data in imagery, video and customer records |
Privacy programmes, data maps, safeguards |
|
Companies Act, 2013 and SEBI LODR (listed makers) |
Board risk responsibility; quarterly cyber incident disclosure |
Board reporting, incident records |
|
Contracts with buyers, integrators and suppliers |
Security, provenance, audit and notification clauses |
Assurance reports, supplier reviews |
6. How the drivers differ by organisation type
|
Organisation type |
Dominant business drivers |
Dominant technology drivers |
Principal regulatory drivers |
|
Drone and component makers |
Tenders, PLI growth, exports |
Firmware, updates, components |
Drone Rules, CSUAS, DGFT, CERT-In, EU CRA |
|
Survey and inspection operators |
Utility and government contracts |
Ground stations, imagery storage |
Drone Rules permissions, DPDP, CERT-In |
|
Agricultural drone services |
Scheme-funded growth, farmer trust |
Pilot phones, booking apps |
Drone Rules, scheme terms, DPDP |
|
Delivery and autonomous fleets |
Scale-up, client SLAs, safety |
Fleet cloud, links, GNSS |
Drone Rules, DGCA GNSS circular, CERT-In |
|
Robotics and warehouse automation |
Uptime, customer audits |
Robot controllers, AMRs, vendor access |
CERT-In audits incl. OT, IEC 62443, contracts |
|
Fleet and traffic software |
Enterprise clients, investors |
Multi-tenant cloud, APIs |
CERT-In, DPDP, client contracts |
7. What this means for buyers and for Codec Networks
|
Customer buying need |
Recommended offering |
Natural recurring engagement |
|
“A utility tender asks for a VAPT report on our drone and software.” |
Product VAPT of drone, ground app and fleet cloud with retest |
Annual product assurance cycle |
|
“We push firmware over the air and need to know it is safe.” |
Firmware, signing, secure boot and update pipeline review |
Review of every major release |
|
“Buyers want proof of where our components and code come from.” |
Supply chain and component provenance assessment, SBOM programme |
Supplier reassessment each year |
|
“We are moving to BVLOS and docked operations.” |
Fleet cloud, link and authorised navigation resilience testing |
Testing before each operational expansion |
|
“Our robot fleet runs in a customer's warehouse with remote support.” |
Robot cell and AMR fleet assessment, vendor access review |
Managed SOC for remote sessions |
|
“Our imagery includes sensitive sites and people.” |
Cloud storage, data handling and DPDP review |
Privacy programme and periodic checks |
|
“Something is wrong with our fleet and we do not know why.” |
Incident response, forensics and root cause analysis |
IR retainer and SOC |
Talk to Codec Networks
|
Contact Codec Networks Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi: 507, 5th Floor, New Delhi House, Barakhamba Road, Connaught Place, New Delhi – 110001 Gurugram: 707, 7th Floor, Silverton Tower, Golf Course Extension Road, Sector 50, Gurugram – 122018, Haryana Landline: 011 430 496 96 | 011 437 522 99 Mobile: +91 99716 76124 | +91 88007 88220 | +91 88003 31124 Email: mktg@codecnetworks.com Web: www.codecnetworks.com |
Note: This document is general industry guidance based on public information available as of October 2026. It is not legal, regulatory, aviation safety or export control advice. Obligations differ by activity (manufacturing, import, operation, training, software or robotics integration), drone category and type certificate, airspace and permissions, the customers and countries served, listing status, contracts and the data each organisation handles; confirm them against the official Ministry of Civil Aviation, DGCA, QCI, DGFT, CERT-In, MeitY and Data Protection Board instruments, any rules made under the draft Civil Drone (Promotion and Regulation) Bill if enacted, and your agreements. Navigation resilience testing is described only as authorised testing in controlled environments, coordinated with the customer and any required regulatory permissions. Incident references are summarised from official statements and widely reported events.