Drone manufacturer Vayudh has secured USD 10 million in a funding round led by Dharana Capital. The company plans to use the investment to expand its manufacturing infrastructure, strengthen research and development efforts, and accelerate drone deployments for India’s defence sector.
Other investors in the round include Deepinder Goyal (Eternal), Ajay Aggarwal (Action TESA), Sumit Jalan, LetsVenture, and Navam Capital. Vayudh previously received funding from Florintree Advisors.
Founded in 2016 by Tanmay Bunkar, Anuj Barnwal, and Sarita Ahlawat, Vayudh operates as the defence division of BotLab Dynamics Private Limited. The company is developing drone systems for battlefield intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
Vayudh has logged over 300,000 autonomous flying hours across defence and commercial applications, including drone shows and industrial surveys. The company recently introduced a nano drone called Atri, designed for precision surveillance.
In 2023, Vayudh was awarded an iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) grant to support the development of a compact surveillance drone.
“This funding marks a pivotal step in our journey to develop indigenous, cutting-edge defence drone technology of global standards,” said Tanmay Bunkar, chief executive officer of Vayudh. “We remain focused on deepening our R&D pipeline and scaling manufacturing to meet growing demand from India’s defence sector.”
Vamsi Duvvuri, founder and managing partner of Dharana Capital, added, “India’s rising defence spend and push for indigenisation have opened a rare window to build world-class defence tech locally. The Vayudh team brings exceptional technical depth in drone technology.”