Hyderabad student startup develops mobile drone manufacturing lab for Army
HYDERABAD: India’s drone warfare capabilities received a boost after a Hyderabad-based startup incubated in a hostel developed a mobile drone laboratory for the Indian Army. The facility, built by Apollyon Dynamics, is already operational in Jammu.
Founded by two 20-year-old students just six months ago at the BITS Pilani Hyderabad Campus, the startup has created what it describes as a moving workshop capable of producing more than 100 first-person view (FPV) drones a month. FPV drones are critical for surveillance and precision operations.
The founders said the Army approached them during their first-semester third-year examinations with a request to design a mobile drone unit. “We took up the task and delivered it in about 15 to 20 days,” said Jayant Khatri, chief executive officer of Apollyon Dynamics. The startup came into the spotlight in July 2025 after supplying kamikaze drones to the Army.
Khatri said the mobile lab, built on the back of an Army truck, includes both indigenous and imported components. While sensitive details were withheld, he said the unit can be deployed wherever required and used to assemble, repair and ready drones within kilometres of active combat zones. “This allows the Army to replace lost drones in hours instead of days or weeks,” he said.
The lab includes a 3D printer for drone frames, manufacturing and assembly units, and a ground station, enabling soldiers to build drones from scratch near border areas. The startup has also trained Army personnel to operate the lab and manufacture drones while on the frontline.
To support the mobile unit, Apollyon Dynamics helped set up a permanent drone laboratory inside a regiment’s premises in Jammu. The fixed facility stores equipment and is used for large-scale assembly, training and maintenance. Together, the two labs allow mobility with troops as well as a stable base for sustained operations, Khatri said.
Sourya Choudhury, chief technology officer of the firm and a third-year engineering student, said the initiative puts drone manufacturing directly in the hands of soldiers. “Instead of relying on long supply chains, troops can assemble and maintain their own drones and modify platforms based on real-time battlefield needs,” he said.
According to the founders, similar mobile drone manufacturing facilities are currently seen only in countries such as Russia and Ukraine.
An official assessment of the project noted that the lab met required quality and performance standards, enabling FPV drone assembly, soldering and programming, and praised the team’s professional approach and technical competence.
