New Delhi [India], August 28 (ANI): To further fortify the security of the nation's critical infrastructure against emerging aerial threats, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the Drone Federation of India (DFI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Friday at the CISF Headquarters.
According to a press release, the agreement was signed by CD Naik, DIG (Principal) of MPRTC Behror, on behalf of the CISF, and Smit Shah, President of the DFI. The signing took place in the presence of Praveer Ranjan, Director General of the CISF, alongside senior officers including Sudhir Kumar, ADG North, and Vijay Prakash, ADG HQ.
Key representatives from the DFI, including Shirin Joshi (Director), Shivangi Prakash (Associate Director), and Sama Sehgal (Chief of Staff), also attended the ceremony.
As the nodal agency designated for handling aerial threats at vital installations, the CISF currently secures over 370 units across India, including highly sensitive sectors such as aviation, nuclear installations, space centres, and oil refineries.
With the rapid proliferation of drone technology and its increasing complexity, the timely detection and neutralisation of rogue drones has become an operational imperative. This capability enhancement draws from past operational experiences at sensitive border units and critical infrastructure, demanding a strong, timely deterrence and defence system.
Currently, the CISF has integrated drone technology into daily operations, with over 3,000 personnel formally trained in drone and anti-drone protocols. Furthermore, approximately 80 CISF units actively utilise drones for continuous monitoring, threat detection, and training purposes. The CISF has also developed a team of domain experts who are pioneering the adoption of drone technology within the force's operational framework, the release said.
A primary objective of this MoU is to develop the CISF's Recruit Training Centre (RTC) in Behror into a comprehensive Centre of Excellence for Drone and Counter-Drone Systems, strictly adhering to Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines.
Under this collaboration, the DFI will facilitate structured engagements with Indian drone startups and technology companies to support capacity building, applied research, and operational preparedness.
The key areas of collaboration outlined in the MoU include scaling counter-drone deployments by supporting the development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), deployment frameworks, and pilot projects for structured counter-drone deployment at CISF-protected establishments.
Additionally, the partnership focuses on forensics and analysis by establishing best practices and indigenous forensic tools for the analysis, investigation, and post-incident assessment of rogue drone activity.
It also involves organising controlled red-teaming exercises and joint drills to test rogue drone intrusion detection, tracking, response, escalation, and post-incident readiness against evolving threats, alongside designing dynamic training modules, student hackathons, and challenge programs that cover operational practices, regulations, and threat scenarios.
Praveer Ranjan, Director General of the CISF, stated in a press release: "This MoU is particularly important for the CISF as we are working towards developing RTC Behror as a Centre of Excellence in the field of drones and counter-drone systems. I am confident that this partnership between the CISF and the DFI will help us take forward the objectives laid down by the Ministry of Home Affairs and develop Behror as a leading Centre of Excellence for drone and counter-drone capabilities in the country. Their participation will provide the CISF an opportunity to test its preparedness against realistic and evolving drone threats and help us identify gaps in our existing systems, procedures, and response mechanisms."
Smit Shah, President of the Drone Federation of India, added: "The Indian drone industry is fully committed to supporting the CISF in safeguarding the nation's critical infrastructure. Through this partnership, we aim to bridge operational requirements with indigenous technological innovations. By testing our startup capabilities in realistic scenarios, developing robust forensic tools, and creating specialised training platforms, we are taking significant strides toward a technologically resilient and 'Aatmanirbhar' security architecture." (ANI)
CISF, Drone Federation of India sign MoU to enhance critical infrastructure security against aerial threats
