Apollyon Dynamics is a startup founded by BITS Pilani-Hyderabad students named Jayant Khatri and Sourya Choudhury. Jayant is a mechanical engineering student from Ajmer, and Sourya is an electrical engineering student from Kolkata. Together, they created a well-suited equation that improved the intelligence, speed, and range of machines.
“Our shared love of robotics brought us together. We started with a defence-tech club on campus. Then came the orders — that’s when we knew we had to go big,” Choudhury said.
The drones are equipped with high-speed mechanisms and will be delivered to the Indian Army troops in Jammu, Chandimandir, Panagarh (West Bengal), and Arunachal Pradesh. This is a breakthrough in Indian startups, creating cutting-edge drone technology for use in defense.
Kamikaze Drones, But Make Them Indian
Unlike traditional drones, these aren’t built just for surveillance—they are weapons themselves. Fully electric. Highly maneuverable. And powered by onboard AI that allows real-time tracking. These field-tested Kamikaze drones are capable of reaching over 300 km/h and can deliver a 1kg payload with precision. They are built to adapt India’s diverse terrains and unpredictable field conditions. These drones fly five times faster than usual consumer-grade drones and are designed to be radar-proof, signifying a significant advancement in defensive technology.
How LinkedIn DMs Led to Defense Contracts
Initially, Jayant and Sourya had no contacts in the defense sector. Their only Initiation platform was LinkedIn. They started reaching out to potential buyers through LinkedIn and cold emails. After a while, A senior Indian Army colonel in Chandigarh responded. He invited them to demonstrate what the drone was all about. The Army was persuaded after multiple test runs, and directives were issued.
“I just started shooting cold emails to whoever I could find… Luckily, a colonel responded and called us to Chandigarh for a demo,” Khatri said.
Apollyon Dynamics’ Game Plan
Jayant and Sourya are in recruitment mode. Their current six-member team is expanding to include Autonomy experts, Defense advisors, Embedded systems engineers, and Aerospace designers. They are aiming to incorporate academic specialization and domain-savvy mentorship, ensuring long-term growth. They have already raised around ₹30 lakh under DST’s NIDHI seed support, at a ₹20 crore startup valuation.
The game plan also includes VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) platforms—designed for rapid deployment in hard-to-reach or hostile terrain, Fixed-wing surveillance drones for ISR—capable of extended endurance and reconnaissance missions, and Perspectives on autonomous swarms—mesh-networked systems that operate seamlessly across hostile airspace.
Apollyon Dynamics isn’t just a student project anymore. It’s a high-speed trajectory from the dorm room prototypes to battlefield tools. Their goal is to revolutionize India’s drone ecosystem with speed, precision, and made-in-India sovereignty.
Read more | Snooplay: The Toy Startup That’s Growing In India
