Tonbo Imaging, a Bengaluru-headquartered defence technology firm, has landed a major contract from the Indian Navy to build and operationalise a high-power microwave (HPM) weapon system as part of the ADITI 3.0 innovation initiative. The project is being backed by iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) and the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO), both functioning under India’s Ministry of Defence. The deal represents an important step forward in the country’s directed-energy weapons ambitions and places Tonbo among a select group of private companies worldwide with indigenous HPM capabilities.

As part of the agreement, the company will oversee integration, testing, and deployment of the system. If the platform successfully passes validation and acceptance trials, additional production orders are expected to follow. High-power microwave systems belong to the directed-energy weapons category, using intense electromagnetic pulses instead of traditional ammunition to neutralise threats. Rather than physically destroying targets, these systems disrupt the electronics of drones, radar systems, and communication networks. This makes them especially valuable against coordinated drone swarm attacks.

Only a few nations — including the United States, China, Russia, and the United Kingdom — currently possess advanced HPM technology. Although the technology is highly complex and strategically sensitive, it offers a cost-effective alternative to conventional missile-based air defence systems, particularly when dealing with large numbers of low-cost drones. Recent conflicts in regions such as Ukraine and the Middle East have demonstrated the growing danger posed by drone swarms, increasing the urgency for militaries, especially naval forces, to adopt next-generation counter-drone solutions.

Tonbo Imaging CEO and Managing Director Arvind Lakshmikumar stated that the company has spent years developing indigenous HPM capabilities, with a special focus on vacuum tube source technology — a crucial component that generates the powerful radio-frequency emissions required in HPM weapons. According to Lakshmikumar, Tonbo’s ownership of core intellectual property in vacuum tube systems played a key role in securing the contract. He explained that vacuum tube-based RF sources remain the most practical way to achieve the extremely high pulse energy and peak power levels necessary for effective HPM operations. Current solid-state RF technologies, commonly used in radars and communications, are still unable to deliver similar performance within practical operational size and weight limits.

The ADITI initiative — short for Advanced Defence Technology Incubation — was created to accelerate the transition of advanced defence technologies from research labs into active military deployment. The latest ADITI 3.0 phase strongly encourages participation from private companies in developing sophisticated defence systems.

While the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has also been working on directed-energy technologies, including laser-based counter-drone systems, the inclusion of a private sector player under the ADITI framework reflects the government’s broader push to strengthen domestic defence manufacturing through the Atmanirbhar Bharat programme. Over the past few years, Tonbo Imaging has expanded its portfolio into loitering munitions and counter-unmanned aerial systems, gradually positioning itself as a key integrator of advanced defence platforms.

At the same time, the Indian Navy has been increasing investments in electronic warfare and non-kinetic weapon systems as part of its modernisation plans. The future deployment of HPM technology is expected to significantly enhance the Navy’s ability to counter evolving aerial threats, particularly large-scale drone attacks, while boosting India’s self-reliance in strategic defence technologies. The development also highlights the growing capability of India’s private defence sector in handling highly advanced and sensitive military technologies, placing the country closer to the global leaders in directed-energy warfare systems.