DRDO’s new SHIELD programme puts industry at the centre of an emerging defence capability, creating an opportunity to build specialised microwave testing infrastructure in India.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for SHIELD, an S-band High-Power Microwave Integrated Evaluation System for Lethality and Damage. The programme is being pursued under the Technology Development Fund (TDF), positioning Indian industry and startups to develop a specialised capability for evaluating the effects of high-power microwave radiation on electronic systems.
The opportunity extends beyond building a single test system. SHIELD is intended to provide a dedicated evaluation platform for communication equipment, sensors, control systems and other electronics that could face electromagnetic threats. Such infrastructure can help defence researchers establish survivability benchmarks, evaluate countermeasures and generate data needed for developing future systems.
For industry, the programme brings together several technology areas that require specialised engineering. These include high-power RF generation, GaN-based solid-state power amplification, thermal management, pulsed microwave systems and system integration. The modular and scalable design also leaves room for companies to develop solutions that can be adapted across different testing environments.
The proposed drone-mountable configuration adds another potential area for industry participation. Beyond laboratory evaluation, airborne platforms could enable mobile testing and demonstrations as India develops capabilities around electronic warfare and counter-drone systems.
The TDF route is significant because it allows private companies to participate in developing technologies that may otherwise remain within government research establishments. For companies working in RF, microwave electronics, power electronics, defence systems and specialised testing equipment, programmes such as SHIELD can create an entry point into a growing defence technology segment.
The RFP also signals a broader shift in India’s defence technology market. As electronic warfare and directed-energy systems become more important, the need for domestic testing and validation infrastructure is likely to grow alongside the systems themselves.
SHIELD could therefore become more than a DRDO test programme. It can give Indian companies an opportunity to build expertise and products around a specialised defence capability that will be needed as the country develops and evaluates its next generation of electronic warfare and directed-energy systems.
