Indo-French venture revolutionises anti-drone technology

Paras Anti-Drone Technologies entered into a strategic collaboration with Cerbair

Paras Defence and Aerospace, a prominent player in the Indian defence sector, has been at the forefront of innovation and technological advancements in various domains, including aerospace and defence electronics. The company is known for its cutting-edge solutions, serving both domestic and international markets. In a casual conversation about the company’s evolving Strategy, the thought of creating a specialised subsidiary, Paras Anti-Drone, was mentioned. It started almost as a joke. Why not get into drones? But quickly turned into a serious endeavour as the team realised the potential in this burgeoning market.

Amit Mahajan

“Three years ago, we joked about getting into drones and developing anti-drone technology. That joke quickly became reality when we were fortunate to bring a drone scientist onto our team. While other companies typically start by recruiting their HR team, we took a different approach. We thought, ‘Let’s just make a drone and figure out the rest later.’ Despite fierce competition, with over 600 companies claiming expertise in drones, we have managed to carve out a niche for ourselves. Today, we have two or three DGCA-certified drone variants and have taken our innovation further by focusing on anti-drone technology,” Amit Mahajan, Director of Paras Defence, tells Media India Group. 

However, Mahajan is quick to add that the company’s real success lies not so much in developing drones, but rather anti-drone technologies and that this development occurred only when a key addition was made to the company in the form of Ashutosh Baheti, an Information Technology engineer based in Munich in Germany, who was inducted to lead the anti-drone segment of Paras.

Ashutosh Baheti

“Ashutosh is the one bringing in fresh ideas. Our complete development team is situated in Mumbai and Bengaluru and we are a leader in developing cutting-edge technologies and we have proven it many times, like last year when we debated with a leading French defence company, we were told our systems were not good enough. But in that debate, we won, and they were gracious enough to offload all their development work to us. Today, we receive compliments from them, saying, ‘You guys have done what we have not even thought of.’ This recognition, especially from a European company where defence giant MBDA is a shareholder, is something we take immense pride in, it assures us that we are on the right track,” he adds.

“So our approach started with basic anti-drone guns, but we quickly advanced, combining multiple bands into a small form factor to enhance agility, configurability, and scalability. Drones are evolving at twice the speed of anti-drone technologies, so we had to think ahead. That is why the C200, which we developed with our French counterparts, stands out, it is an epitome of drone technology. It offers a robust range of detection, covering everything from 400 MHz to 60 GHz, making it one of the most comprehensive anti-drone technologies available. This forward-thinking strategy has allowed us to stay ahead in the rapidly changing landscape of drone technology,” Mahajan adds.

The new product immediately made waves in the defence industry around the world, but specially in India and Europe, due to its efficiency and portability. The success of the C200 and the recognition from international partners have nudged the company to look at continuing with development of other products.

“We have the advantage of being under the umbrella of a larger company, yet we operate with the agility of a startup. If you visit us, you will find that what we are doing is truly unique. Our team is very young mostly in their early thirties or even under 30 on average and includes more than ten PhDs, which brings an incredible level of excitement to developing new technologies. We also have strong connections with academia, enhanced by a steady flow of interns, which, combined with the business expertise Paras brings, creates a powerful three-dimensional effect. In India, while many companies follow a specific stream of technology, we aim to remain adaptable and open to global perspectives, ensuring we are not limited by a narrow focus,” he adds.

To streamline anti-drone development, a subsidiary focussed on the segment was created, with Baheti at the helm. Baheti says that in the anti-drone initially, the development of Paras was towards basic technologies, but that evolved very rapidly.

Ashutosh Baheti, the CEO of Paras Antidrone, has been at the forefront of the company’s strategic efforts to carve out a unique space in the defence industry.

“We are primarily focused on driving next-generation innovations. It is not enough to keep developing conventional products; we have to think beyond and anticipate what the future holds, not just for our country, but on a global scale. Our goal is to position India as a leader in the export market by working closely with our global partners. We are not just implementing their solutions in India, we are building solutions here that can be exported worldwide,” Baheti tells Media India Group.

His leadership and vision have not only driven the company’s recent successes but have also earned significant recognition within the industry. The company is focused on integrating next-generation innovations to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving market. 

“We are actively developing our own product line. Our most prominent product is the anti-drone jammer gun, which is essential as the first line of defence, simple jammer functionality to bring down any drone you spot. We are also working on a man-pack-based jammer called Squirt, designed to shift the gun’s weight to the back, making it lightweight enough for 30-40 minutes of operation. Another key product is AeroBlast, a high-powered jammer mounted on strategic facilities to start jamming all bands at the push of a button. Our portfolio is built on the pillars of agility, scalability and cost-efficiency, ensuring we meet our country’s needs with innovative, affordable solutions that protect our vast coastal and watershed areas. Our focus is on creating next-generation products that are not just advanced but also accessible to a nation as large as ours,” he adds.

Paras Defence and Aerospace is a prominent player in the Indian defence sector

“In some of our demonstrations, we have successfully jammed more than five or six drones simultaneously, even when they were operating on different RC controllers. This proves that our jammers are an effective solution, especially against drone swarms controlled by RC. However, we are also developing solutions for drones that are not RC-controlled. We are deeply focused on swarm-based solutions and their mitigation, ensuring that we stay ahead of the curve without compromising on safety. These are the technologies we are currently working on and refining for the future,” Baheti adds.

 Today it ranks 64th among 174 competitors which include Epirus, Dedrone and DroneShield. 25 of its competitors are funded while 18 have exited. Overly its competitors have raised over USD 768 million in funding across 79 funding rounds involving 242 investors.

Paras Antidrone Technologies is pushing the boundaries of defence innovation by not only perfecting its first line of defence but also strategically planning the development of a second line of defence. The company’s vision is to create comprehensive, multi-layered protection against evolving drone threats, with a focus on cutting-edge technologies and rapid deployment solutions

“Our goal is to establish the first line of defence by the end of this year, ensuring all our products are up and running with exceptional precision. We have already started demos for three products, and we are confident they will lead to strong orders. Looking ahead, our focus shifts to the second line of defence. One of the key products we are developing is called Drone Shield, a versatile system equipped with multimodal sensors, electronic warfare capabilities, jammers, radars, and acoustics, all integrated on a single platform. It can be deployed in just five minutes. We are also exploring cutting-edge technologies like EMPs and high-powered lasers to further enhance our ability to neutralise drones. These advancements will continue to evolve as we strengthen our second line of defence,” Baheti adds.

“We are heavily focused on enabling the hardware we are building, such as our smart reforms, agile weapon generation, and agile jammer designs these are IPs that belong to us. While the software code partly comes from our partners, we are the ones fully responsible for building the entire hardware. It is a collaborative effort where we combine our strengths to create innovative solutions,” he adds.

A few months ago, Paras Anti-Drone Technologies entered into a strategic collaboration with Cerbair, to develop a real-time anti-drone platform, to advance their capabilities in delivering cutting-edge solutions. Lucas Le Bell, CEO of Cerbair, has been instrumental in forging this partnership, recognising the vast potential of collaboration between France and India in the defence industry. His vision has centred around the belief that combining the strengths of both companies can lead to significant advancements, not only in their respective countries but also in other global markets. 

Lucas Le Bell

 “We have shown that collaboration between companies from different countries is not just possible it is achievable and timely. Our work marks the first of many steps in an industry with a bright future and I am thrilled to have found an excellent partner in the Indian market, our largest export market for Cerbair. We have ambitious plans not only in France and India but also in other foreign markets. I am confident that our partnership will strengthen the relationship between our countries, especially through cooperation on sensitive technologies. Combining our mutual strengths is a logical step, and I am excited about the future projects ahead,”  Le Bell tells Media India Group.

As Cerbair’s largest export market, India plays a crucial role in their strategic plans and Le Bell is confident that this partnership will pave the way for future innovations and deeper cooperation on sensitive technologies. Reflecting on their shared goals and the promising future ahead, he emphasises the importance of this alliance.

“Our work is just the first step of many more to come in this future-focused industry. Over the past decade, Cerbair has done amazing work, and I am thrilled to have found an excellent partner in the Indian market, our largest export market. We have significant ambitions not just in France and India, but in other foreign countries as well. Finding a close partner in India enhances the relationship between our countries, and I believe this cooperation will only strengthen in the coming years. Combining our mutual strengths makes perfect sense, and I’m excited about the future projects ahead,” Le Bell adds.

The collaboration between the two marks a significant milestone in the defence industry, showcasing the power of international partnerships in advancing technology. From a light-hearted conversation to a leading-edge venture, their joint efforts have not only introduced a highly successful anti-drone product but also positioned them as key innovators in a competitive market.

This partnership has resulted in a highly successful, lightweight, and portable anti-drone product that has garnered significant global interest. With a focus on integrating next-generation innovations and maintaining cost-efficiency, Paras Antidrone Technologies has positioned itself as a key player in the defence sector.

In the rapidly evolving world of drone technology, their journey began with a casual joke that quickly turned into a serious venture. Within three years, they have not only established themselves in a highly competitive market but also developed specialised solutions.