Defence tech startup Vayudh raises $10 million in round led by Vy Capital's offshoot Dharana Capital
The round also saw participation from Zomato founder and chief executive Deepinder Goyal, along with other investors. Vayudh had earlier raised funds from Florintree Advisors.
The funds will be used for strengthening R&D capabilities, scaling up manufacturing infrastructure, and accelerating deployments with India's defence forces.
'This funding marks a pivotal step in our journey to develop indigenous, cutting-edge defence drone technology of global standards. We remain focused on deepening our R&D pipeline and scaling manufacturing to meet growing demand from India's defence sector,' said chief executive Tanmay Bunkar.
Founded in 2016 by Bunkar, Anuj Barnwal, and Sarita Ahlawat, Vayudh has built strong capabilities in swarm drone technology, with over 3,00,000 autonomous flying hours across defence use cases as well as commercial applications like drone shows and industrial surveys.
The company recently launched Atri, a nano drone specifically designed for precision surveillance and reconnaissance operations.
Commenting on the investment, Vamsi Duvvuri, founder and managing partner, Dharana Capital, said, 'India's rising defence spend and push for indigenisation have opened a rare window to build world-class defence tech locally. The Vayudh team brings exceptional technical depth in drone technology — their swarming tech is field-tested, mission-ready, and built in India. 'What excites us is the team's deep technical rigour and relentless drive to address India's defence needs through home-grown intellectual property,' said Mathew Cyriac, founder of Florintree Advisors.
On April 16, drone startup Garuda Aerospace, backed by former Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, raised Rs 100 crore in a funding round from early-stage investor Venture Catalysts.
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'China bet billions building infrastructure around US ethane, and Washington is now questioning whether that bet should continue to pay off.' But the US is not the only one weaponising their grip on vital materials. China has tightened control on rare earths, a crucial element used for technology products. However, on Thursday President Trump got a commitment from China to restore flow of rare earth magnets. These moves by the US and China marks a shift toward using strategic resources as leverage. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
