Discover 10 powerful quotes from Ankit Mehta, CEO of IdeaForge, shared on Mic’d Up With India’s Defencepreneurs. Learn key entrepreneurial lessons on resilience, innovation, teamwork, and scaling from India’s drone pioneer.
In a world where technology is advancing at lightning speed, some entrepreneurs stand out not just for their innovations but for the way they think, lead, and inspire. One such entrepreneur is Ankit Mehta, the CEO and co-founder of IdeaForge, India’s pioneering drone company. From student experiments at IIT Bombay to building drones that are now a crucial part of the Indian Armed Forces’ operations, Mehta’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary.
In the first episode of ‘Mic’d Up With India’s Defencepreneurs’, hosted by Adith Charlie, Asianet News Digital’s Head of Content, Mehta opened up about his journey—the setbacks, the breakthroughs, and the lessons learned along the way. What makes this conversation remarkable is that it doesn’t just focus on technology; it’s about curiosity, resilience, and the entrepreneurial mindset that turns ideas into impact.
Also read: How 26/11 Shaped Ankit Mehta’s Journey From IIT to Battlefield With ideaForge
During the podcast, Mehta shared insights that are invaluable for anyone dreaming of starting their own venture. He spoke about how a national tragedy like 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks inspired him to pivot his projects toward real-world solutions, the importance of building teams that argue for the right reasons, and why scaling innovation is just as important as creating it.
WATCH: Mic’d Up With India’s Defencepreneurs Feat. ideaForge’s Ankit Mehta
Here, we’ve rounded up 10 of Ankit Mehta’s most inspiring quotes from the podcast—each carrying a lesson that future entrepreneurs can carry into their own journeys. Whether you’re building a startup, leading a team, or just dreaming big, these insights are a masterclass in turning vision into reality.
1. Turning Setbacks into Opportunities
“The desire to convert what we were doing into a product as a drone actually was triggered by 26/11. Maybe drones would have been a better choice if that tech was available.”
Lesson: Great entrepreneurs see gaps in the market as opportunities. Crisis moments often spark the most impactful innovations.
2. Start Small, Dream Big
“We actually started off with building these hand-cranked chargers so that people could survive their mobile phones off-grid… That was the journey we began with.”
Lesson: Every venture begins somewhere humble. Focus on learning, experimenting, and building a strong foundation.
3. Resilience Matters
“Our technology is designed to operate at minus 30 degrees centigrade, in dusty, rainy, and saline environments. We had to make sure it works anywhere in the country.”
Lesson: Build products that perform reliably in all situations. Resilience is the foundation of long-term success.
4. Value Teamwork Over Ego
“The arguments that we have ultimately are not arguments to put my point forward or their point forward, but to do the right thing for the business.”
Lesson: Disagreements are opportunities to strengthen decisions if they serve the organization’s mission.
5. Hold the Mission Above Everything
“Any team that can hold the outcome for the business front and center… you end up doing the right thing for the organization and appreciate differences in opinion. Opinions are tangentially opposite of what people may think… But I look at it as a means of reaching global maxima or minima rather than looking at it as a burden. It is a burden on time at times, but it is also what helps you preserve value over the long period of time.”
Lesson: Alignment on the vision is more valuable than winning individual arguments.
6. Think Strategically, Not Just Competitively
“Superiority necessarily means breaking new ground, creating new technology. We have to have strategic superiority.”
Lesson: Don’t just aim to match competitors—aim to lead and redefine the industry.
7. Real Impact is the Ultimate Reward
“The biggest joy in what we do is when we are able to help save a life or prevent a difficult situation… that trumps every other news you can create. Because that’s one moment in time where your product has done something that nobody can take away.”
Lesson: Focus on meaningful outcomes. Solving real-world problems is more fulfilling than short-term gains.
8. Global Vision Starts at Home
“The advantages that you get by building in India—building for extreme environments, for inhospitable topography—can be leveraged globally.”
Lesson: Your local challenges can become your competitive advantage in the global market.
9. Embrace Different Viewpoints
“Each one of my co-founders is a superstar in their own right. The different perspectives, even when tangentially opposite, help us reach better solutions than any one person could alone.”
Lesson: Surround yourself with diverse talents and viewpoints. True innovation comes from collaboration, not solo effort.
10. Either the World’s First or the World’s Best
“First instinct should not be to build what everyone else is building. The only way you build defence ability is by building something which is potentially either the world’s first or the world’s best. If you’re chasing neither of them, and you’re just a meta player in a crowded market… driving an unsustainable business outcome for everybody.”
Lesson: Don’t follow the crowd. Sustainable businesses are built by creating something truly unique—either pioneering a new category or setting the global benchmark.
Ankit Mehta’s insights from ‘Mic’d Up With India’s Defencepreneurs’ show that entrepreneurship is a delicate balance of vision, persistence, teamwork, and purpose-driven innovation. For aspiring founders, these quotes are more than inspiration—they are actionable lessons for building businesses that truly matter.