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The threat is compounded by the growing use of e-commerce platforms to source chemicals and machine parts required for IED-making.
26 people were killed in the brutal attack in Pahalgam. (File pic: PTI)
A troubling shift in the methods adopted by terror outfits in India seems to have emerged, with top intelligence sources warning that the country is facing a new wave of threats that are far harder to detect than before.
According to these sources, security agencies are increasingly concerned about the rise of clandestine “micro-factories” operating within the country. Unlike the earlier dependence on cross-border smuggling routes to bring in weapons and explosives, these hidden workshops are capable of producing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and other arms domestically, leaving behind a much smaller signature for agencies to track.
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The threat is compounded by the growing use of e-commerce platforms to source chemicals and machine parts required for IED-making. Intelligence officials point out that many of these items are also staples of legitimate industries, which allows terror modules to operate under the radar. The blending of illicit procurement with ordinary commercial activity creates what they describe as a “high false-positive environment” — where large amounts of harmless purchases obscure the relatively few that may be linked to terrorism.
“Unlike traditional modules, these new-age cells are self-sustaining. They have the ability to quietly recruit skilled workers and keep functioning over longer periods without external support,” said an intelligence source, noting that this development makes them particularly dangerous. The fact that common machine tools, chemicals, and industrial supplies have everyday applications further complicates the job of detection.
Agencies fear that if such networks are not identified at an early stage, their workshops could arm multiple sleeper cells across states, dramatically increasing both the frequency and scale of future terror attacks. The combination of low visibility, local sourcing, and skilled manpower gives these groups resilience that conventional counter-terror strategies struggle to address.
For now, intelligence agencies are intensifying their focus on monitoring suspicious purchases, cross-checking industrial supply chains, and mapping potential overlaps with radicalised networks. But sources admit that the challenge is steep, as the line between legitimate and malicious activity grows increasingly blurred.
“Unless neutralised early, these hidden workshops could become the backbone of a new terror architecture in the country,” warned another top intelligence source.
About the Author
Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18
Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18
September 15, 2025, 10:53 IST
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