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Entrepreneur
11 minutes ago
- Entrepreneur
Why Defense Tech is India's Next Billion-Dollar VC Opportunity
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. India's defense technology sector is no longer a niche playground for government labs. Today, it has grown into a thriving frontier for venture capital. With geopolitical tensions reshaping global alliances, a $78.8 billion defense budget, and an aggressive push for self-reliance, India is scripting a new chapter in its strategic ambitions. For venture capitalists, this goes beyond patriotism, transcending into a rare trifecta of policy tailwinds, technological disruption, and market urgency. The numbers speak loudly: defense tech startups have attracted over $184 million in VC funding since 2020, with exits via IPOs and acquisitions already demonstrating billion dollar potential. There are several reasons why savvy investors are betting big on this sector. Market Growth Meets Strategic Necessity India's defense budget has increased by 9.5% for FY 2025-26, with $20.8 billion earmarked for modernization. This is no routine spending. In fact, it's a response to urgent security challenges. Border tensions, cyber warfare threats, and the need to replace aging Soviet-era equipment have forced India to prioritize cutting-edge solutions. The Indian aerospace and defense market, valued at $27.1 billion in 2024, is projected to reach $54.4 billion by 2033. What makes this growth unique is the government's mandate to allocate 75% of the capital acquisition budget for procurement from local sources. This policy shift has opened a significant window for startups developing everything from AI-driven surveillance systems to hypersonic missile tech. For context, India has historically imported 65-70% of its defense equipment – a figure that continues to drop as local startups fill gaps. Government Fuel For Private Innovation The Indian government isn't just writing checks; it's rewriting the rules to empower startups. The Innovations for De fence Excellence (iDEX) program has become a launchpad for over 600 startups, offering grants up to INR 1.50 crore (up to INR 10 crore in case of iDEX Prime) through its Defence India Startup Challenges. Recent winners include firms building anti-drone systems and AI-powered threat detection tools. Complementing this is the Technology Development Fund, which covers up to 90% of R&D costs for projects like quantum encryption and stealth materials. In 2024 alone, 79 projects worth INR 334 crore received approval. Policy reforms have further sweet ended the deal. 2025-26 has been declared the "Year of Reforms," with simplified procurement processes and faster testing cycles. Startups no longer need decades of defense pedigree to win contracts-just viable solutions to well-defined problems. High-Impact Investment Areas Venture capitalists are zeroing in on sectors where innovation meets immediate military needs. Unmanned systems dominate the conversation, with the Indian Army planning to induct 5,000+ drones by 2030 for border surveillance and logistics. Several startups are developing swarm drones that cost significantly lower than imports. Cybersecurity is another hot spot, with the cyber solutions market projected to grow at 18.33% annually to $12.9 billion by 2030. An increasing number of cybersecurity solution providers are building AI tools to safeguard critical infrastructure from state-sponsored attacks. Advanced materials startups are reimagining soldier safety-one firm created a bulletproof jacket lighter than a lap top. Meanwhile, AI and quantum tech are quietly transforming battlefield strategies, with projects underway for predictive maintenance of fighter jets and unhackable communication networks.
Entrepreneur
11 minutes ago
- Entrepreneur
How a Corporate Turnaround Taught Me True Entrepreneurship
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. My entrepreneurial journey didn't start in a garage or with a venture capitalist's check, but within the confines of a multinational corporation. As a VP of Controls and Digitalization at Siemens Energy, I was tasked with revitalizing a seemingly stagnant division, turning around a business unit that was stuck in a severe revenue slump. Little did I know, this corporate turnaround would become my crash course in entrepreneurship and managing extreme duality. The challenge was daunting. The business unit was flatlining, and the team was demoralized. My first instinct wasn't to cut costs or reorganize, but to set an audacious revenue target - a North Star so ambitious that it initially drew laughter from the team. But instead of dismissing their skepticism, I leaned into it. I asked, "What's stopping us?" and then encouraged them to unleash their frustrations on Post-it notes. The resulting wall of colorful complaints, once organized, revealed five key roadblocks. Crucially, all were solvable. This simple exercise – acknowledging the challenges, collaboratively identifying them, and collectively owning the solutions – were my first lesson in entrepreneurial leadership. It wasn't about top-down dictates, but about empowering the team to take ownership and drive change from the ground up. We held workshops, translating roadblocks into actionable plans. That wall of Post-it notes became our roadmap, a constant visual reminder of our shared commitment. That ambitious 'Order Entry revenue target'? We didn't just meet it; we achieved it ahead of our three-year plan. True leadership isn't about having all the answers, but about facilitating a conversation where every team member feels heard and empowered. My learning from this experience that the most innovative ideas often come from the people on the front lines. It is about building an enviornment of trust where honest feedback isn't just tolerated, but actively sought after. My second lesson came in the form of investing in people. Recognizing that mindset is everything, I engaged a coach for myself and my entire team. We worked on communication, motivation, and overcoming limiting beliefs. The PQ (Positive Intelligence) training, in particular, proved transformative. By understanding and addressing our own mental saboteurs, we could unlock our potential and foster a culture of growth. We weren't just turning a business around; we were transforming people. This focus on personal and professsional development was a a significant departure from traditional corporate fixes. We stopped just "fire-fighting" and started building a foundation for a sustainable success. We streamlined processes, embraced digitalization, and fostered a culture of continuous improvement inspired by the Kaizen philosophy. My mantra became: "You can't improve what you don't measure." This entrepreneurial mindset, coupled with the team's newfound sense of purpose, sparked a dramatic turnaround. We rightsized our headcount – first reducing, then rebuilding strategivcally – and lowered SG&A expenses, all while overachieveing our profitability targets. The team achieved the highest order entry in five years, even landing the biggest single ticket order globally that year. Our Net Promoter Score soared to 100, a testament to the trust we had rebuilt with our customers. The success wasn't just financial. We created a workplace where people felt valued, empowered, and excited to contribute. This experience mirrored the core principles of entrepreneurship's: identifying a need, building a team, developing a solution, and iterating based on feedback. While I operated within a large corporation, the process felt remarkably similar to launching a startup. The limited resources, the need for innovation, the constant pressure to deliver – these were all the hallmarks of the entrepreneurial journey. My time at Siemens Energy taught me that entrepreneurship isn't confined to startups. It's a mindset, a way of approaching challenges and driving change, regardless of the environment. The duality of managing a large corporate division while also building my own brand, ILÁI SARÁI, leaned into learnings from each other. My corporate experience has given me the discipline to build robust systems and the rigor to track progress, while my entrepreneurial venture has reinforced the importance of authentic storytelling, passion, and purpose. It's a masterclass in managing extreme duality, showing me that the most powerful leaders don't just manage tasks; they manage purpose. Looking back, the most rewarding part of this experience wasn't hitting the ambitious targets, but witnessing the transformation of the team and the realization that my purpose was to build things – whether a team together or a brand – from the ground up,, with passion, people, and a clear vision at the heart of it all. It's about transforming not just businesses, but people.
Bloomberg
12 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Inside India's Shopping Revolution
India is changing how it shops, influenced by the world's largest youth population. Here's why that's putting pressure on legacy brands that once ruled Indian homes. (Source: Bloomberg)
