India is nearing a significant defence milestone with the upcoming launch of its first indigenous hypersonic missile, capable of reaching speeds of Mach 5, according to Dr Sudhir Kumar Mishra, a veteran DRDO scientist, on May 16.
Speaking at the Powering Bharat Summit, former DRDO chief Dr Sudhir Kumar Mishra revealed that DRDO recently conducted successful trials of a hypersonic engine and is now gearing up to unveil a missile system capable of reaching Mach 5 speeds. Mishra, who previously served as DRDO Director General and MD & CEO of BrahMos Aerospace, currently holds the DRDO Chair (Prof. S. Bhagavantham).
“Just two to three weeks ago, we successfully tested a hypersonic engine. Very soon, we will roll out a hypersonic missile capable of flying at Mach 5,” he said. “All the core technologies for BrahMos were developed indigenously by DRDO—we even built the world’s largest launcher ourselves,” Mishra added. Highlighting India’s growing global defence credibility, he noted, “When other countries compare systems and choose to induct ours, it proves that India’s missile technology is among the best.”
Speaking on a panel titled Defending Bharat: Indian Drones, Missiles, Defence Tech, Dr Sudhir Kumar Mishra joined key voices from India’s growing defence and drone technology sectors.
Lt Gen (Dr) Inderjit Singh, Strategic Advisor at ideaForge Technology, noted India’s early lead in drone development. “We’ve been proactive in this space for over a decade. Today, we’re the largest player in ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) technologies. The Ministry of Defence is now rapidly scaling up efforts to adopt next-gen capabilities,” he said.
Smit Shah, President of the Drone Federation of India, emphasised the role of policy in unlocking private innovation. “The 2021 drone policy, although meant for civilian use, opened the doors for private players to build indigenous drone technologies. It laid the foundation for creating original intellectual property in the sector,” he explained.
Mishra described the BrahMos missile as a “potent universal weapon” capable of striking with such force that interception becomes nearly impossible. Citing over 130 tests conducted with consistent performance upgrades, he emphasised BrahMos’ reliability and technological edge.
Mishra also underlined DRDO’s commitment to quality, explaining that the organization follows the T1 (top technical offer) model rather than the L1 (lowest bidder) approach to ensure top-tier performance. “Our indigenous systems like Akash, BrahMos, and advanced electronic technologies have significantly bolstered the confidence of our Armed Forces,” Mishra said. He also offered a reality check for investors in defence technology, highlighting that meaningful returns from defence R&D can take a decade or more. “You can’t expect results in just two or three years,” he cautioned.
