Unidentified drone flies over Nagpur defence firm; investigation launched

An investigation has been launched after an unidentified drone was spotted flying over the airstrip of Solar Industries, a Nagpur-based manufacturer of defence-related products, officials said on Tuesday.

A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against an unknown person at Kondhali police station, Superintendent of Police Dr Harssh Poddar confirmed, adding that a detailed probe is under way.

According to police, the drone was seen hovering over the company’s airstrip on the Nagpur–Amravati road, about 40 km from Nagpur, at around 7.15 pm on 9 December. Due to poor visibility after nightfall, officials said the exact size and specifications of the drone could not be ascertained.

Security personnel at the facility noticed blinking lights in the sky and immediately alerted senior security officials, who in turn informed the Kondhali police station. Police teams were dispatched to the area soon after.

As part of the preliminary inquiry, police searched nearby villages to rule out the possibility that the drone had been launched for a wedding or a private function and had accidentally strayed into restricted airspace. Searches were conducted in Malkapur, Shiva and Sawanga villages, but no information related to the drone has been found so far.

Police teams remained stationed in these villages for two days, but the exercise did not yield any leads, officials said.

A senior official also confirmed that a team from the Intelligence Bureau (IB) is probing the incident, given the sensitive nature of the facility involved.

Solar Industries is a key defence manufacturer, producing indigenous weaponised drones, including hexacopters, along with military explosives, rocket integration systems, loitering munitions, anti-drone missiles, bombs and warheads for India’s armed forces. Authorities said all angles are being examined as part of the investigation.

With PTI inputs