Why don't you see it this way? In the previous demonstrations NSG rappelled down from a mi-17. The mi-17 took a couple of minutes to get stable and then the operators rappelled down. I
I know the video you are talking about but it is clear they are taking it very easy in that drill, in real world ops they would be pushing to the limit and would be far swifter (see how quickly NSG fast roped an entire team from IAF MI-17s during 26/11).
I have a view that any terrorist or aggressor with an RPG or a ln explosive projectile can target and secure a hit because of its size.
How likely is this in the NSG's likely ops in the Indian mainland?
Dhruv can go into urban areas with lesser air space to loiter and manoeuvre. It can land on buildings by this emptying all the operators at once.
True and I would certainly propose having a few ALH for the NSG to offer more flexibility to them HOWEVER, their primary helo HAS to be a heavy (10 ton+) simply because of the ammount of equipment they take with them and the need to transport lare numbers of operators rapidly.
Their larger equipment wouldn't fit in the ALH and it would take more ALHs to transport the same number of NSG operators as a few heavy/medium weight helos.
I actually like Shiv Aroor's views on this matter; 1 SQN of V-22s deployed somewhere in central India can ensure 1 CT task force of the NSG can be in any location of the Indian mainland (with their gear and ready to fight) within 2 hours- this would be an extraordinary capability to have. Right now it might take 2 hours to drive from CST to the CBD of Mumbai ( I know Mumbai has its own NSG hub but I will ignore it in this instance).
Rudras can be used as overwatch loitering around the target area to keep watch of any other external threats or enemy QRF in case of a strike mission. It may be possible to use it in CT ops but may not be feasible in urban areas.
A UAV or ALH with a EO/FLIR pod can do overwatch, there is no need to have the Rudra for thsi role.
Let's not forget we are talking about the NSG and what they do. Your points are more relevent for the Mil's SF units. I would fully support the to-be rasied SOCOM having a heavy Rudra and ALH presence in its airwing specifically outfitted for spec ops.