Top Defence-based tech start-ups in India
The Indian Startup community has undergone a new trend over the last few years. Innovation that was lost in a sea of repetitiveness is now coming back to the Indian environment. After making a mark in sectors such as eCommerce, fintech, and AI, etc., the Indian Startup community is expected to take the security market by storm with its creative out-ofthe-box concepts. It is important to remember that until a few years ago, the Indian defence industry was an elite club of large-cap firms, but thanks to India’s Startup Boom, several small startups have joined the defence sector in the last decade.
CRON SYSTEMS
Here’s a list of India’s top defence-based tech startups: New Delhi Founded by Tommy Katzenellenbogen,Tushar Chhabra, Saurav Agarwala. A revolutionary startup in new delhi, founded by Tommy Katzenellenbogen, Tushar Chhabra, Saurav Agarwala.
Created with a mission to force boundaries with IoT, CRON Systems is a revolutionary start-up inside the multi-billion-dollar border protection area that is building state-of-the-art intrusion detection systems. These systems , developed by the start-up, incorporate the latest IoT technology and designs at a fraction of the cost of other leading products in this field. The deep-tech business focuses on implementing state-of-the-art border defence technologies. The organisation has also worked with the Border
Defense Force and the Indian Army to mount its goods to protect international boundaries as well as the perimeter of important facilities such as military camps, airports, etc. Some of the solutions have also been tailored to commercial markets.
IDEAFORGE Navi Mumbai Founders: Ankit Mehta, Rahul Singh, Ashish Bhat The Navi Mumbai startup is the brainchild of three IITians. It provides services only to the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and the paramilitary and intelligence forces. They include the National Security Guard, the Indo-Tibetan Border Patrol, the National Disaster Relief Force, and the Delhi Police. NETRA, the flagship product of ideaForge, was developed by the company in partnership with DRDO, Ministry of Defense, India. It is a man-carrying unmanned aerial vehicle that can be deployed from a small clearing by the roadside and made to operate over the field of interest up to a height of 400 meters.
It is capable of transmitting constant real-time images of any movement on the ground of humans, cars, or another movement without anybody noticing that they are being seen. IdeaForge drones are frequently used by the Defense and Paramilitary services to carry out intelligence and reconnaissance operations. IdeaForge drones are compact, easy to deploy, and deliver higher range and durability. Their ability to operate flawlessly in challenging weather and terrain and switching payload features make them a game-changer in anti-terror operations. These drones have supported security forces by supplying realtime intelligence during tough hours. Idea Forge's clients include the Gujarat Police, CRPF, BSF, Maharashtra Police, and NDRF.
AXIOSTAT Bengaluru
Founded by Leo Mavely, Ashish Pandya This Bengaluru-based start-up is helping to aid Indian soldiers on the frontlines. A Medtech company focused on Specialized Wound Care devices, the start-up is the manufacturer of the first haemostatic emergency dressing in India called Axiostat. Founded by Bengaluru-based start-up Axio Biosolutions, the Haemostat, Axiostat, is helping Indian Army troops, as well as others around the world, tend to their wounded peers and resolve a significant cause of preventable death: blood loss due to trauma. Emergency care providers such as ambulances, military forces such as the Indian Army and various emergency and emergency centres in hospitals are also using life-saving innovation. Axio Biosolutions, which manufactures a cheap hemostat, is the first Indian firm to obtain US FDA approval for wound dressing. In India, the cost of Axiostat is between Rs 29 (for dental use) and Rs 2,250 (for military use), while the cost of imported haemostats is between Rs 12,000 and Rs 20,000 for both categories. While it is not the first haemostat in the world, it is the first wounddressing product from India to obtain the US Food & Drug Administration’s node for US sales, and by far the cheapest in the country.
VIZEXPERTS New Delhi Founders: Praveen Dhanirama As a technology start-up in the area of visual computing, Viz Experts is designing dynamic turnkey technologies that optimise decision-making data for diverse organisations. In 2014, the Army introduced automated sand model technology for realtime tactical planning, allowing quicker and more critical decisionmaking. Digital Sand Model is effectively a ground-breaking solution for field preparation, mission briefing, and instruction for Indian paramilitaries, the police, and the armed forces. Another Viz Expert service used by the Indian Army is GEORBIS. It is a 3D geospatial tool that helps the Army plan real-time operations and allows quicker and more critical decision-making. The interface is fitted with a range of interaction instruments, applications, and field data to plan the operation in real- time.
AADYAH AEROSPACE Bengaluru Founders: Shaju Stephen, V Sunderarajan, Pradeep Kumar, Samu Joseph, Amarnath Reddy, Varun Kurup AADYAH was founded with the aim of becoming India’s leading provider of aeronautics, space and defence engineering, and technology solutions while retaining a sense of originality that speaks volumes. Formed in 2016, AADYAH produces and designs electronic mechanical actuators, control actuation systems, and electronic optical systems for missiles and launch vehicles, and all according to the 2016 Military Acquisition Strategy of the Indian Ministry of Défense (DPP). The start-up also maintains a centre of excellence in architecture, engineering, integration, and testing to develop mission-critical aerospace and defence systems.
OPTIMIZED ELECTROTECH Ahmedabad Founder: Anil Yekkala, Dharin Shah, Kuldeep Saxen, Purvi Shah and Sandeep Shah. Optimized Electrotech Ahmedabad-based Optimized Electrotech is an electro- optical startup that offers defence and surveillance solutions. The start-up provides an electro-optics technology that can be used for tracking smart cities, satellite imagery, border protection, medical imaging, access control, machine vision, automotive (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, i.e., ADAS), and consumer electronics. They are developing high-end Electro-Optic surveillance systems for strategic and industrial customers. These products are tested and proven by India’s most discerning clients for land and aerospace applications. Its mission is to become a world leader in delivering security solutions to national and foreign military and aerospace organisations. The business plans to become a force in National Security, Défense Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance & Machine Vision. OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD India will finance at least 250 defence start-ups over the next five years as it finds emerging innovations that give the armed forces a leading edge. The goal is to offer at least 50 ‘tangible technologies’ to start-ups that can be implemented in the coming years. At least Rs 500 crore will be awarded to the Ministry of Défense for its Technologies for Défense Excellence (IDEX) Programme which will aim to pull together innovators from the public and private sectors and the armed forces to identify innovative technological solutions. For more stories, interviews and blogs visit in sellers.