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Themes / Defence & Marine Engineering / Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones)

Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones)

Drone Shakti + total ban on foreign drone imports

dronespolicygrowthip
Theme price path

Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) vs Nifty 500

Weekly basket performance over the latest 52 observations. Green is ahead of Nifty 500; red is behind.

Through 19 Oct 2026
Thin evidence
Theme aheadTheme behindNifty 500Base 100 at the first visible weekLatest: Outperforming +64.5%
7910813616519431 Oct 2025 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 100.0 | Nifty 500 100.0 | In line 0.0% | breadth 0% | coverage 100%07 Nov 2025 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 97.1 | Nifty 500 99.2 | Underperforming -2.1% | breadth 33% | coverage 100%14 Nov 2025 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 103.3 | Nifty 500 100.5 | Outperforming +2.8% | breadth 100% | coverage 100%21 Nov 2025 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 101.9 | Nifty 500 100.3 | Outperforming +1.6% | breadth 33% | coverage 100%28 Nov 2025 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 100.5 | Nifty 500 100.9 | Underperforming -0.4% | breadth 0% | coverage 100%05 Dec 2025 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 97.4 | Nifty 500 100.5 | Underperforming -3.1% | breadth 0% | coverage 100%12 Dec 2025 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 94.9 | Nifty 500 100.1 | Underperforming -5.2% | breadth 33% | coverage 100%19 Dec 2025 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 93.0 | Nifty 500 99.9 | Underperforming -6.9% | breadth 0% | coverage 100%26 Dec 2025 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 100.3 | Nifty 500 100.3 | In line 0.0% | breadth 100% | coverage 100%02 Jan 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 98.4 | Nifty 500 101.6 | Underperforming -3.1% | breadth 0% | coverage 100%09 Jan 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 96.9 | Nifty 500 99.0 | Underperforming -2.1% | breadth 33% | coverage 100%16 Jan 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 95.4 | Nifty 500 99.1 | Underperforming -3.7% | breadth 33% | coverage 100%23 Jan 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 89.0 | Nifty 500 95.8 | Underperforming -7.1% | breadth 0% | coverage 100%01 Feb 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 100.7 | Nifty 500 95.4 | Outperforming +5.6% | breadth 100% | coverage 100%06 Feb 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 92.7 | Nifty 500 98.8 | Underperforming -6.2% | breadth 0% | coverage 100%13 Feb 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 91.1 | Nifty 500 98.3 | Underperforming -7.3% | breadth 0% | coverage 100%20 Feb 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 91.7 | Nifty 500 98.7 | Underperforming -7.1% | breadth 100% | coverage 100%27 Feb 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 92.3 | Nifty 500 97.7 | Underperforming -5.5% | breadth 33% | coverage 100%06 Mar 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 101.2 | Nifty 500 94.8 | Outperforming +6.8% | breadth 100% | coverage 100%13 Mar 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 92.0 | Nifty 500 90.2 | Outperforming +2.0% | breadth 0% | coverage 100%20 Mar 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 93.6 | Nifty 500 90.0 | Outperforming +4.0% | breadth 67% | coverage 100%27 Mar 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 89.8 | Nifty 500 88.7 | Outperforming +1.2% | breadth 0% | coverage 100%02 Apr 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 91.3 | Nifty 500 88.3 | Outperforming +3.4% | breadth 100% | coverage 100%10 Apr 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 100.5 | Nifty 500 94.2 | Outperforming +6.7% | breadth 100% | coverage 100%17 Apr 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 111.5 | Nifty 500 96.5 | Outperforming +15.5% | breadth 100% | coverage 100%24 Apr 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 115.5 | Nifty 500 95.2 | Outperforming +21.3% | breadth 67% | coverage 100%30 Apr 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 122.1 | Nifty 500 95.7 | Outperforming +27.6% | breadth 33% | coverage 100%08 May 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 138.4 | Nifty 500 97.5 | Outperforming +41.9% | breadth 67% | coverage 100%15 May 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 130.6 | Nifty 500 95.0 | Outperforming +37.5% | breadth 33% | coverage 100%22 May 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 132.8 | Nifty 500 95.5 | Outperforming +39.1% | breadth 67% | coverage 100%29 May 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 139.1 | Nifty 500 95.6 | Outperforming +45.5% | breadth 100% | coverage 100%05 Jun 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 156.8 | Nifty 500 94.8 | Outperforming +65.4% | breadth 100% | coverage 100%12 Jun 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 159.4 | Nifty 500 95.3 | Outperforming +67.3% | breadth 33% | coverage 100%19 Jun 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 184.3 | Nifty 500 97.7 | Outperforming +88.6% | breadth 100% | coverage 100%26 Jun 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 162.7 | Nifty 500 97.5 | Outperforming +66.9% | breadth 0% | coverage 100%03 Jul 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 164.4 | Nifty 500 98.3 | Outperforming +67.2% | breadth 33% | coverage 100%10 Jul 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 172.2 | Nifty 500 98.5 | Outperforming +74.8% | breadth 67% | coverage 100%17 Jul 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 161.6 | Nifty 500 98.4 | Outperforming +64.2% | breadth 0% | coverage 100%24 Jul 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 164.2 | Nifty 500 96.7 | Outperforming +69.8% | breadth 67% | coverage 100%31 Jul 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 162.8 | Nifty 500 98.9 | Outperforming +64.6% | breadth 67% | coverage 100%07 Aug 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 169.2 | Nifty 500 100.0 | Outperforming +69.2% | breadth 100% | coverage 100%14 Aug 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 172.5 | Nifty 500 99.5 | Outperforming +73.4% | breadth 67% | coverage 100%21 Aug 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 179.1 | Nifty 500 99.1 | Outperforming +80.7% | breadth 67% | coverage 100%28 Aug 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 173.1 | Nifty 500 99.2 | Outperforming +74.5% | breadth 0% | coverage 100%04 Sept 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 169.3 | Nifty 500 98.1 | Outperforming +72.6% | breadth 0% | coverage 100%11 Sept 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 164.5 | Nifty 500 96.4 | Outperforming +70.6% | breadth 33% | coverage 100%18 Sept 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 160.7 | Nifty 500 96.3 | Outperforming +66.9% | breadth 0% | coverage 100%25 Sept 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 158.5 | Nifty 500 95.3 | Outperforming +66.3% | breadth 33% | coverage 100%01 Oct 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 153.8 | Nifty 500 92.2 | Outperforming +66.8% | breadth 33% | coverage 100%09 Oct 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 147.3 | Nifty 500 92.2 | Outperforming +59.8% | breadth 0% | coverage 100%16 Oct 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 157.1 | Nifty 500 93.9 | Outperforming +67.3% | breadth 100% | coverage 100%19 Oct 2026 | Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) 153.0 | Nifty 500 93.0 | Outperforming +64.5% | breadth 0% | coverage 100%Outperforming +64.5%31 Oct 202524 Apr 202619 Oct 2026
Theme return
+53.0%
Nifty 500
-7.0%
Vs Nifty 500
+64.5%
Latest coverage
3/3

Fewer than five constituents have adequate aligned history, so treat this plot as preliminary evidence.

How this plot is calculated

The theme line is green when its cumulative rebased performance is above Nifty 500 and red when it is below. The chart callout shows the latest relative performance as the theme level divided by the benchmark level, minus one.

The basket uses the theme's current reviewed companies. For each available week, we calculate every valid constituent's close-to-close return and give each company the same weight. If a weekly rollup is missing or lags the daily series, the final available daily close in that week is used.

For baskets with at least 10 valid stocks, the highest and lowest 5% of weekly returns are trimmed to reduce split, corporate-action, and single-stock distortions. Weekly basket returns are then compounded and rebased to 100 beside the Nifty 500.

Breadth is the share of valid constituents that rose that week. Coverage is the number with usable aligned prices divided by current membership. Weekly moves above 80% are excluded as likely data or corporate-action outliers.

Limitation: this is a current-membership historical reconstruction, not a point-in-time investable index. It can contain survivorship bias and excludes costs, liquidity impact, dividends, and rebalancing turnover.

Model note: Current-member weekly equal-weight returns (5% tails trimmed for baskets of 10+), compounded and rebased to 100 against Nifty 500; lagging weekly rollups are patched with the final available daily close, and rotation uses 13-week excess return with four-week acceleration.

Theme scorecard

Measures whether this idea is investable today by blending cohort quality, valuation cushion, and price momentum. It is a research filter, not advice.

Build portfolio from this theme
Theme
13
Stretched
Quality
0
Valuation
7
Momentum
51
Positive MoS
0%
P/E 360.3 · ROCE 10%
Curated research view

Drones & Counter-UAS

A focused investor view: high-conviction names first, then small/micro exposure only as controlled satellite risk. Live U-Score and MoS still come from the current database.

64/100
Theme score
Selective and high volatility
Investability
32.7
Live avg U
-6596.0%
Live avg MoS

Curated company map

Names from the curated theme note. Solid chips are present in the live eligible cohort; dashed chips need membership review, ticker verification, or may be indirect/unlisted exposure.

1/6 live eligible
ZENTECBELSOLARINDSHALDATAPATTNSBDL

Investment thesis

The listed Nifty 500 opportunity is broader than drone manufacturing: it includes unmanned aircraft, loitering munitions, counter-drone systems, airborne electronics, and drone-delivered weapons. Product capability does not automatically imply material revenue, so orders and segment disclosure must confirm the thesis.

1-2 year outlook: Strong strategic relevance but uneven listed-company revenue visibility. Treat it as a research basket, not a pure-play index.
Recommended allocation: 2-5% as satellite exposure until revenue disclosure improves.

Key triggers

  • UAV and loitering-munition orders
  • Counter-UAS deployments
  • Drone-swarm and autonomous-system programmes
  • Export and civil-certification progress

Major risks

  • Early-stage or immaterial revenue
  • Rapid technology obsolescence
  • Procurement delays
  • High valuation and theme crowding
Small, micro, and SME names should be opt-in exposure. Suggested filters: U-Score above 65, positive MoS, Piotroski 7+, debt/equity below 0.8, promoter pledge below 10%, and enough traded value to exit without slippage.

Thesis

The Drone Shakti initiative and a complete ban on foreign drone imports have created a domestic-only market for military and industrial drones. Fragmented at the startup level, but only a handful of listed names have meaningful defence scale. ideaForge is the market leader in tactical surveillance UAVs. Zen Technologies dominates drone simulators and anti-drone neutralisation systems. Paras Defence supplies drone cameras and optronic payloads.

  • ▸Drone Shakti policy + foreign import ban create domestic-only market
  • ▸Handful of listed pure-plays vs many unlisted startups
  • ▸Zen + Paras earn high margins on software/optronic IP
  • ▸Valuations rich — growth expectations already priced

Top picks · ranked by U-Score within this cohort

The rationale above is editorial — the ranking uses our U-Score engine so the names you see first are the strongest fundamentals fit, not the most popular or most-mentioned. Re-rank yourself if you weigh valuation or quality differently. All information is for study purposes only — consult your financial advisor before investing.