An Israeli push to India’s drone making dreams: What does the $11 million XTEND-Rayonix Tech AI defence deal mean?

At a time drones playing an increasingly decisive role in recent conflicts across the globe, India’s indigenous defence manufacturing and AI-driven warfare capabilities have received a desirable push as Israel-origin autonomous systems firm XTEND inked an $11 million contract with Indian defence technology company Rayonix Tech to manufacture and distribute advanced UAV systems in the country. The move comes amid rising demand within India’s armed forces for AI-enabled autonomous systems, especially as the country accelerates investments in next-generation military technologies. The deal positions Rayonix as the exclusive manufacturing and distribution partner in India for select XTEND platforms, with a focus…