India, April 16 -- NEW DELHI The recent unveiling of a locally produced laser weapon that can knock out drones has put the spotlight on cutting-edge defence technologies that India has demonstrated over the past two to three years, with the developments boosting the country's global stature and paving the way for the armed forces to deploy a new range of weapons, officials aware of the matter said on Tuesday.

Only a select league of countries possesses many of the technologies that India has showcased to boost its military power, the officials said, asking not to be named.

The April 13 successful trial of the directed energy weapon (DEW) system with a 30-kilowatt laser came three months after India for the first time carried out a groun...