New Delhi: In yet another story of student-led innovation, two 20-year-old students from BITS Hyderabad have taken their dorm-room ideas to national defense.
Jayant Khatri and Sourya Choudhury, now co-founders of Apollyon Dynamics, have developed radar-evading drones which are now deployed by the Indian Army across regions.
Starting from a defence-tech club on campus, Apollyon Dynamics was built in the corridors and hostels of BITS Pilani. Within just two months of starting up, they delivered the kamikaze drones capable of reaching speeds of 300 kmph which is nearly five times faster than commercial drones, a report in WION said.
“I sent cold emails to Army officers and one colonel got back, inviting us to Chandigarh for a demo,” with a report in TOI quoted Jayant Khatri as saying. That one opportunity launched the duo into national service. Field trials in high-risk areas confirmed the drones’ effectiveness.
These combat-grade drones can carry 1 kg of payload with surgical precision due to the use of carbon-fibre frames and AI-powered navigation. The systems are highly adaptable to meet mission demands.
The drone’s success aligns with India’s growing focus on indigenous defence manufacturing under the ‘Make in India’ initiative. Beyond just manufacturing, Apollyon Dynamics is also training armed forces to operate these vehicles.
The company says their roadmap includes developing next-gen VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) platforms and fixed-wing systems that can function in challenging environments.
“We started with a shared love for robotics. The mission was clear- to build something that truly matters,” said Sourya Choudhury, a Kolkata native.
What began as an idea in a college dorm has now transformed into one that might prove to be a highly functional device in India’s modern defence strategy.
(Curated by Niswarth)