Smit Shah, President of Drone Federation of India (DFI) has accused Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi of showcasing a banned Chinese DJI drone in a recent video he posted on social media, and said his statements “dismiss” India’s drone industry.

Sharing a video of him talking about drones, Gandhi in a post on X on Saturday wrote, “Drones have revolutionised warfare, combining batteries, motors, and optics to manoeuver and communicate on the battlefield in unprecedented ways. But drones are not just one technology – they are bottom-up innovations produced by a strong industrial system.”

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Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, “Unfortunately, PM Modi has failed to grasp this. While he delivers ‘teleprompter’ speeches on AI, our competitors are mastering new technologies. India needs a strong production base not empty words.

India has immense talent, scale and drive. We must have a clear vision and build real industrial prowess to give our youth jobs and lead India into the future.”

Referring to the LoP’s remarks made in the video, the DFI President wrote on X, “Rahul Gandhi’s statements dismiss India’s drone industry while proudly showcasing a banned Chinese DJI drone. Yes, the industry is still in its nascent stage and a lot has to be done, but armchair criticism with zero tangible suggestions won’t help.”

He said the collective efforts of industry players, academia, and policymakers are truly remarkable.

Shah along with his post also shared a video in which he can be seen saying, “Recently, we must have seen a video where our prominent leader (Gandhi) grabbed hold of one Chinese drone and blatantly said that the Indian ecosystem does not understand different parts of the drone, and in India optics and batteries are not made. Whereas there is approximately more than 400 companies making various types of drones. There are more than 50 drone component companies in India that make batteries, motors and many other components.”

“By saying that the Indian ecosystem does not have any understanding. This is an odd statement that demotivates the entire Indian ecosystem. There is a need to give actual suggestions,” he said.

The DFI chief added, “The Indian ecosystem should work on drone parts and components. This is not a new thing.”

Earlier, BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya slammed the Rae Bareli MP and said, “Rahul Gandhi’s proposals on military precision drones might appear amusing were it not for their potential dangers, and they seem to stem from a misguided perspective. Perhaps he should confine himself to Chinese toy drones rather than investing energy in more advanced matters that exceed his expertise.”