Shield AI, a US-based defence technology company, has opened an engineering office in Bengaluru to develop and test autonomy software for Indian aircraft and defence systems.
Welcoming the expansion, Karnataka IT Secretary Dr Manjula N., IAS, said, “Shield’s Bengaluru engineering centre is a welcome addition to Karnataka’s growing ecosystem of global technology and R&D centres. The focus on autonomy software, simulation and advanced engineering will create opportunities for specialised talent and strengthen the state’s capabilities in emerging technologies.”
Located at GoodWorks GCC Nexus in Bengaluru, the new office will focus on Hivemind, the company’s software platform for developing, deploying, and operating autonomous systems. Bengaluru is Shield AI’s second office in India, following the opening of its New Delhi office in April 2026.
The company said it will hire engineers specialising in autonomy, flight software, simulation, systems integration, and testing and evaluation. The Bengaluru team will work with its Delhi office, which leads engagement with the Ministry of Defence, the Indian armed forces, and Indian industry.
“New Delhi brought us closer to our customers. Bengaluru gives us the engineering team to build for them,” said Sarjan Shah, Managing Director for India at Shield AI.
“Self-reliance in defence depends on the software layer. We are hiring here to build, test, and improve mission autonomy for Indian platforms, so that India’s armed forces can own this capability for the long term,” he added.
The Bengaluru office builds on the company’s existing partnerships in India. In November 2024, Shield AI partnered with JSW Defence to indigenise and manufacture its V-BAT unmanned aircraft system (UAS) in India.
JSW Group committed $90 million to the project, which includes establishing a V-BAT production facility, technology licensing, and workforce training. JSW Defence began construction of the facility in December 2025 at EMC Maheshwaram in Hyderabad. In January 2026, Shield AI announced that it had been selected to supply V-BAT aircraft and licences for its Hivemind autonomy software to the Indian Army.
Hivemind Enterprise combines a development environment with onboard autonomy software. According to the company, the platform supports route planning, mission management, and communication between aircraft. It also allows developers to integrate their own artificial intelligence models, sensors, and mission capabilities, and advance systems from simulation to flight.
Shield AI said Hivemind has been piloted across more than 40 platforms, including F-16 fighter aircraft, jet-powered uncrewed aircraft, helicopters, uncrewed surface vessels, ground vehicles, and a satellite in low Earth orbit.
The announcement comes as India pushes for greater domestic development of defence technologies. In October 2026, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh released the Indian Army’s Land Warfare Doctrine 2026 and called for faster progress in artificial intelligence and autonomous systems.
