India can be a major drone hub-if it learns to take risks, accept losses

The cost of the deal raises the issue of opportunity costs. The question that arises is whether at least some portion of this amount could have been better spent on developing and producing indigenous smaller drones in large numbers at lower costs. This alternative opportunity is birthed by factors like increased lethality and efficiency of smaller drones, the potential for leveraging existing human capital in the country and relatively lower per-unit costs that are supplemented by faster development and production through 3-D printing. India is in the process of acquiring 31 higher-end MQ9B Predator armed drones from the United States…