Archive · 30 Jul 2026
Rithika Mohan: Young Co-Founder of India's Drone Startup
Rithika Mohan is a 33‑year‑old businesswoman who helped start a drone company in Chennai called Garuda Aerospace.
She didn’t study engineering, but she learned how to run a business and now makes sure the company’s offices, finances, and rules work well.
In 2025 she was named the youngest woman leader in a big Indian business list.
Garuda Aerospace makes drones for farms and the military, and it wants to go public in 2026.
Rithika’s job is to keep the company organized so it can grow safely and meet the needs of farmers, factories, and the army.
Rithika Mohan, 33, is co‑founder and chief administrative officer of Garuda Aerospace.
She was named the youngest new‑economy woman leader in Candere Hurun India’s Top 10 list in 2025.
Mohan built the company’s operational, compliance, and governance systems as it expanded from agricultural to defence drones.
Garuda Aerospace filed confidential IPO papers in April 2026, aiming to raise Rs 1,000 crore.
The company has partnerships with Bharat Electronics, Thales, Airbus, and Lockheed Martin, and cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni is a brand ambassador.
- Who
- Rithika Mohan, co‑founder and chief administrative officer of Garuda Aerospace
- What
- Recognized as the youngest new‑economy woman leader and building operational systems for a growing drone company
- When
- 2025 (recognition) and April 2026 (IPO filing)
- Where
- Chennai, India
- Why
- To scale Garuda Aerospace’s agricultural and defence drone operations into a well‑governed, publicly listed enterprise
- Name
- Rithika Mohan
- Company
- Garuda Aerospace
- Age
- 33
- Role
- Co-founder and Chief Administrative Officer
- Industry
- Drone manufacturing
- IPO filing
- April 2026
- Revenue FY25
- Rs 118 crore
- Profit FY25
- Rs 17.5 crore