Indian aerospace and defence startup Sanlayan Technologies has just secured a massive $21.7 million (Rs 186 crore) in a Series A funding round spearheaded by Jungle Ventures, alongside prominent investors like Ashish Kacholia and Lashit Sanghvi. Shastra VC, Gemba Capital, and Singularity Ventures also joined the round, building on the startup’s earlier Rs 36 crore raise in March 2024. This fresh capital injection highlights growing investor confidence in India’s defence tech sector.
Sanlayan is making waves by developing advanced AESA Radar technology for India’s unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) program, leveraging its in-house R&D expertise. The firm has also acquired a majority stake in Dexcel Electronics, known for its contributions to key projects like Jaguar, Sukhoi, and Chandrayaan-3. Additionally, Sanlayan has partnered with five Indian defence startups and global OEMs to co-create next-gen solutions.
With these funds, Sanlayan aims to expand its engineering team fivefold within six months, aggressively hiring R&D specialists, defence veterans, and industry leaders. CEO Rohan Gala emphasised India’s “once-in-a-generation” defence sector transformation, signalling more acquisitions ahead. This news follows recent raises by peers like Vayudh and Tonbo Imaging, cementing India’s role as a rising hub for defence innovation.