“Let the enemy come with rockets. We’ll meet them with resolve. And algorithms.” (An unnamed DRDO official, post-Operation Sindoor)
It began like every other conflict — with provocation, calculation, and escalation. But Operation Sindoor was no ordinary retaliation. It wasn’t just the thunder of BrahMos or the silent authority of Akashteer that stunned the enemy. It was something new. Something no adversary saw coming. Something that didn’t come from Moscow or Tel Aviv — but from IIT labs, garage workshops, and incubators in Kerala, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad. It was India’s startups.
Behind this transformation stands the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) and its flagship program iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) — a government-led catalyst that empowers Indian startups through fast-tracked prototyping grants, DRDO support, and procurement pathways. From Rs 1.5 crore SPARK grants to rs 10 crore iDEX Prime contracts and DRDO’s own Technology Development Fund, these platforms have turned ideas into weapons and coders into contributors to India’s national security.
During Operation Sindoor, twelve cutting-edge Indian startups worked hand-in-hand with our Armed Forces — underwater, in the air, across the borders, and in the digital realm — delivering everything from AI-enabled micro-ROVs to anti-drone jammers, loitering munitions to GaN-powered electronic warfare. This wasn’t just a war. It was a national startup moment.
EyeROV – The Sentinels of the Deep
From the depths of the Arabian Sea, India found its new line of defence — unmanned, underwater, and unstoppable.
EyeROV, based in Kochi and founded by IIT alumni Johns T Mathai and Kannappa Palaniappan, created India’s first micro-ROVs capable of real-time underwater surveillance, mine detection, and tactical reconnaissance. Their ROV “TUNA” was deployed during Operation Sindoor alongside DRDO-NPOL and the Indian Coast Guard, conducting real-time seabed mapping and threat scans.
EyeROV is a recipient of iDEX SPARK funding (Rs 1.5 crore), DRDO’s Technology Development Fund, and incubation under Maker Village and BPCL Ankur. It also secured Rs 10 crore in Pre-Series A funding from Unicorn India Ventures and Kochouseph Chittilappilly.
Their modular, AI-powered design holds strong export potential in ports, navies, and environmental monitoring across Southeast Asia and the Middle East. This wasn’t just hardware. It was India’s digital trident under the sea.
IdeaForge – Eyes in the Sky, Born in an IIT Hostel
Started in an IIT Bombay hostel by Ankit Mehta and his team, IdeaForge is now India’s premier tactical drone manufacturer.
Their drones — including the NETRA V4 and SWITCH — were deployed for ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) during Sindoor, providing live data to frontline and command posts.
An early iDEX awardee, IdeaForge has received significant government backing and DIO facilitation, in addition to raising over Rs 400 crore from public markets and strategic investors, including Qualcomm. Their battlefield-proven reliability made them indispensable in the Sindoor mission.
Alpha Design Technologies – When Precision Becomes a Weapon
Founded by Col. H S Shankar (Retd), Alpha Design is a veteran’s response to India’s tactical drone gap. Its SkyStriker loitering munition, developed with Elbit Systems, was deployed as kamikaze drones in Sindoor for precision strikes. Alpha is supported by iDEX SPARK (Rs 28.5 lakh), DRDO partnerships, and now works under the Adani Defence umbrella.
IG Drones – Ghosts in the Sky
From Odisha’s engineering minds came IG Drones, experts in tactical UAVs and terrain mapping. Their systems provided day-night surveillance and jamming support across multiple theatres in Sindoor. They’re backed by iDEX SPARK (Rs 1.5 crore), state disaster teams, and angel investors, becoming India’s dual-use drone powerhouse.
Tonbo Imaging – Nightfall’s Worst Enemy
When darkness fell, Tonbo’s thermal imagers took over. Founded by Arvind Lakshmikumar, their tech-powered India’s night vision and weapon-mounted optics during Sindoor. With Rs 45 lakh iDEX pilot funding and Rs 175 crore in private investment, Tonbo is now fielded by forces in 17+ countries. A rare optics success story born entirely in India.
Paras Defence – Jam the Enemy, Save the Mission
Headed by the Shah family in Mumbai, Paras Defence provided EW and anti-drone jammers during Sindoor to block enemy swarm UAVs. They hold iDEX Prime eligibility and recently secured a Rs 142 crore contract from DRDO CHESS to build next-gen radar systems.
Solar Defence (EEL) – Death From the Sky, Built in India
A subsidiary of Solar Industries, Nagpur, EEL developed the Nagastra‑1 suicide drone in partnership with DRDO. Its precision deployment during Sindoor was made possible via DRDO Make-I pathways and in-house R&D — replacing imported loitering munitions with Indian innovation.
Indrajaal – The Shield That Thinks
Built by Grene Robotics under Kiran Raju, Indrajaal is an AI-based anti-drone system that neutralized multiple aerial threats during Sindoor. While not an iDEX recipient yet, it is currently undergoing integration support from BEL and DRDO field labs.
Big Bang Boom – The Battlefield Hackers
Chennai-based startup led by Praveen Dorna and Mohan Sundaram, Big Bang Boom brought anti-drone guns and mobile EW kits that protected forward bases during Sindoor. An early iDEX SPARK winner (Rs 82.7 lakh), they now stand at the frontlines of low-cost, high-impact defence tech.
AGNIT Semiconductors – The Power Behind the Pulse
Founded by ex-ISRO and IIT engineers, AGNIT built India’s first GaN-based chips for EW systems. Funded through DRDO-MoU supported R&D pipelines, AGNIT is helping India build sovereign control over critical defence electronics.
BrahMos Aerospace – The Titan Among Missiles
No introduction needed. The Indo-Russian BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, developed under DRDO-NPO Mash, was used to deliver pre-emptive strikes during Sindoor. Fully PSU-funded, with active exports to the Philippines, BrahMos represents the cutting edge of India’s state-led missile dominance.
Akashteer (BEL) – Eyes, Ears, and Execution
Developed by BEL and DRDO, Akashteer is an AI-integrated air-defence command system. It recorded a 100 per cent drone kill rate in Sindoor and is now being deployed with DRDO field trials under Make-II procurement pathways with DIO facilitation.
Epilogue: A new doctrine Is born
Operation Sindoor may fade from the headlines. But what India achieved here was nothing short of a defence-tech renaissance.
Gone are the days of dependency.
Gone are the excuses of “we’ll import later.”
From EyeROV’s underwater brilliance to BrahMos’ sky-splitting strikes, from Indrajaal’s AI shield to Akashteer’s battlefield brain — India has shown the world: We can build, we can fight, and we can lead. The next war won’t be won by size. It will be won by speed, software, semiconductors and startups. India is no longer catching up. India is setting the pace. And the world is watching.
