The Indian Army has mandated domestic drone manufacturers to integrate GPS-resistant navigation systems following extensive trials after Operation Sindoor in May 2025, which exposed critical vulnerabilities in indigenous UAVs under electronic warfare conditions. During post-operation evaluations in June 2025, 46 local drone makers failed to demonstrate reliable performance in GPS-denied environments, prompting the Army to issue a directive requiring all future drone systems to incorporate autonomous navigation technologies such as terrain contour matching, inertial navigation systems, and AI-driven waypoint tracking. This mandate, communicated through the Drone Federation of India, emphasizes indigenous development of secure communication via software-defined radios and robust anti-jamming capabilities. The move aligns with the Army’s 2028 defense modernization goals and lessons drawn from real combat use during Operation Sindoor, where enemy GPS jamming disrupted drone operations. Non-compliant manufacturers will be disqualified from future procurement bids, underscoring a strategic shift toward self-reliance and operational resilience in contested electromagnetic environments.