A single land deal in Noida is signaling a larger bet on India’s drone future. Raphe mPhibr, a rising name in defence technology, has acquired 11.5 acres from Parag Dairy in Sector 81 to expand its manufacturing campus and boost indigenous drone manufacturing capabilities. The move signals a shift from small runs and pilots toward high-volume production and integrated systems for both military and civilian markets.

The acquisition, valued at around Rs 101 crore, comes with government approvals that helped clear the way for a major land transfer. The Noida Authority is transferring the parcel without any transfer fee, a nod to the project’s strategic value. The expanded footprint will push Raphe from four acres to roughly 15.5 acres, unlocking larger assembly lines, more automation, and a broader supplier network, all within an enhanced industrial land transfer framework.

As part of the broader deal, Raphe will finance the relocation of Parag Dairy and construct a new dairy plant on a 10-acre plot along the Yamuna Expressway. The planned plant will have a processing capacity of 400,000 litres per day, underscoring how industrial land and manufacturing policy intersect with high-tech ecosystems. The MoU includes an additional Rs 10 crore payment if the dairy plant is completed within two years, with a Rs 5 crore annual penalty for delays. YEIDA will allot the new land at industrial rates, reinforcing government support for accelerated project timelines.

Raphe’s leadership frames the expansion as a cornerstone for India’s indigenous drone manufacturing ecosystem in northern India. The company has already deployed drones in defence operations and points to a portfolio that includes the mR10 swarm drone, mR20 logistics drone, Bharat surveillance drone, and an X8 maritime drone. It has also developed a military-grade autopilot system and an internal combustion drone engine, underscoring a shift from hobbyist kits to aerospace-grade platforms within the broader aerospace manufacturing landscape.

In August, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated Raphe’s Noida facility, a ceremony that highlighted strong political support and a clear appetite for domestic technology development. The site has already attracted around Rs 800 crore in investment, illustrating how public funds and private capital are converging to seed large-scale production in India.

According to Knn India, the deal aligns with a broader push to move from import dependence to domestic self-reliance in critical defence technology. Raphe’s strategy mirrors a pattern seen in other Indian firms that connect manufacturing scale with national priority programs. With this expansion, Raphe could become a leading supplier for both armed forces and civilian markets, while providing a blueprint for how land-use policy and industrial clustering can accelerate capability building.

Industry observers say the move matters beyond one company. A bigger Raphe campus could strengthen the local supply chain, attract tier-one OEMs, and intensify competition in the drone segment where speed, reliability, and long-range endurance are now table stakes. The Noida project also signals how policymakers balance industrial real estate with strategic security objectives, a trend that could shape future approvals and incentives in the Delhi-NCR corridor. For the Noida drone industry, this expansion signals the city is becoming a magnet for defense-tech manufacturing and high-value jobs.

What this means for practitioners

For defense planners and manufacturers, the Noida expansion is a signal that India intends to scale indigenous platforms rapidly. It shows that the ecosystem is moving from pilots and small batches to serial production, with real cost and time-to-market implications. Companies should monitor how YEIDA land policies and MoU frameworks evolve, as these mechanisms can accelerate or slow expansions across the sector.

Regulatory and policy context

At a national level, the project sits within a broader push to boost domestic aerospace and defence manufacturing under policies that favor local content and faster approvals. The government has repeatedly highlighted the importance of indigenization in defense, and the Raphe landmark will be cited in discussions about public-private collaboration and industrial land strategy in the Delhi-NCR belt.

Conclusion

Raphe mPhibr’s Noida expansion is more than a campus upgrade. It’s a barometer for India’s growing confidence in indigenous drone capabilities and a test case for how industrial land policy can power a modern manufacturing spine. If the company can translate capacity into reliable, scalable production, the landscape of Indian defence technology could look very different in just a few years.