Sanlayan Technologies, a Bengaluru-based aerospace and defence company, has successfully raised Rs 186 crore ($22 million) in its Series A funding round. The round was led by prominent investors including Ashish Kacholia, Lashit Sanghvi, and Jungle Ventures, with additional backing from Gemba Capital, Singularity Ventures, and new entrant Shastra VC.
Doubling Down on Defense Innovation
The fresh capital injection will allow Sanlayan to scale its engineering team fivefold over the next six months. With an aggressive hiring plan in motion, the company is onboarding R&D scientists, domain experts, ex-armed forces professionals, and seasoned leaders from both PSUs and private defense firms.
This move positions Sanlayan as a future-ready startup prepared to play a strategic role in India’s defense manufacturing ecosystem, especially as the country pushes toward indigenisation of critical technologies.
Founders with Deep Tech Roots
Sanlayan was founded by Abhijit Kothawale, Rohan Gala, and Rahul Vamsidhar, all former engineers at Zetwerk. Their combined expertise has helped the startup focus on high-impact technologies such as radar systems, electronic warfare (EW), and mission-critical avionics.
Previously, the company had raised $4.4 million in seed funding in March 2023 from investors like First Cheque, Gemba Capital, and Singularity Ventures.
Strategic Acquisition and Expansion
A major milestone for Sanlayan has been the acquisition of Dexcel Electronics, a 20-year-old embedded systems leader with a legacy of contributing to iconic programs such as Jaguar, Sukhoi, LCA Tejas, and Chandrayaan-3. This strategic move enhances Sanlayan’s ability to build indigenous and scalable defense solutions.
The company is also working on developing AESA radar technology for India’s Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) program—a move that signals its entry into next-gen warfare tech.
CEO’s Vision: Organic and Inorganic Growth
“We are allocating capital for suo-moto development of critical technologies for CUAS and EW systems,” shared Rohan Gala, Co-founder and CEO. “In the last six months, we have strengthened Dexcel’s design and manufacturing capabilities. Now, we are gearing up to execute large-scale indigenisation and upgrade programs.”
Why This Matters
Sanlayan Technologies represents a new breed of Indian deep-tech startups focused on sovereign defense capabilities. With backing from both marquee and institutional investors, the startup is set to play a pivotal role in reshaping India’s defense tech landscape.
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