The Uttar Pradesh International Trade Show began on Friday, with several Indian innovators displaying how self-reliance can be turned into tactical superiority.
Two such innovations, which can shape the future battlespace, include the Tejasvaan Ultra Long Endurance Solar UAV from Maraal Aerospace and the secure tactical mesh communication network developed by IDR Research and Development. Tejasvaan is a sleek, high-altitude fixed-wing solar UAV designed for missions that refuse to quit. Alongside it, IDR’s mesh network offers the invisible backbone that keeps such platforms connected. Built by an IIT Roorkee-supported Greater Noida startup, the system lets devices handheld radios, UAVs, UGVs or sensor swarms, exchange encrypted messages across multiple hops. Using AES encryption, automatic route recovery and low-power compact nodes, it creates a self-healing, any-to-any network that works even when direct links fail. Tejasvaan’s long-endurance eyes in the sky can act as mobile communication relays within IDR’s encrypted mesh, extending coverage deep into contested or infrastructure-denied areas.
With a 12-metre wingspan, maximum take-off weight under 60 kg, and solar panels backed by battery power, it stays aloft for up to 12 hours. It can cover 150 km extendable to 250 km, while carrying a 5 kg payload of high-zoom day/night and thermal cameras. Resistant to electronic warfare and GPS spoofing, and able to operate from a short 200-metre runway even in moderate winds, Tejasvaan delivers persistent surveillance, communication relay, target acquisition, search-and-rescue, and maritime domain awareness for the Army, Navy and Air Force.
