1 hr ago
Defence Startups Face Talent Shortage Despite Rising Funding and Demand
Apollyon Dynamics is an Indian company that builds technology for the military.
The company says finding skilled workers is harder than finding money.
Its projects need people who understand drones, engines, computer systems and aircraft design.
Training these workers can take a long time.
Apollyon was started in May 2025 by two BITS Pilani Hyderabad students.
It says its systems are now helping the Indian Army at eight locations.
The company has grown from making small drones to developing more advanced aircraft.
Its co-founder is attending a major defence exhibition in Poland to explore technology and partnerships.
Apollyon Dynamics says specialised talent, rather than capital, is its biggest challenge.
The Hyderabad startup was founded in May 2025 by Jayant Khatri and Sourya Choudhary.
Apollyon says it secured its first Jammu deployment within seven months of incorporation.
Its systems now support the Indian Army at eight stations, including Chandimandir, Ranchi, Secunderabad and Arunachal Pradesh.
The company is expanding from drones and field systems into electric interceptors and jet-powered uncrewed aircraft.
- Who
- Hyderabad-based defence startup Apollyon Dynamics, co-founded by Jayant Khatri and Sourya Choudhary.
- What
- The company says specialised engineering talent is a bigger hurdle than funding as it expands its defence technology business.
- Where
- The company is based in Hyderabad, with systems supporting the Indian Army at eight stations, including Jammu and locations such as Chandimandir, Ranchi, Secunderabad and Arunachal Pradesh. MSPO is being held in Kielce, Poland.
- When
- Apollyon was founded in May 2025 and says it achieved its first deployment within seven months; Khatri is currently attending MSPO.
- Why
- Defence and aerospace systems require specialised skills in propulsion, autonomous systems, embedded electronics and advanced airframes, but the available talent pool is limited.
Key facts
- Company
- Apollyon Dynamics
- Founders
- Jayant Khatri and Sourya Choudhary
- Founded
- May 2025
- First deployment
- Jammu, within seven months of incorporation
- Army support
- Systems deployed at eight stations
- Technology portfolio
- FPV drones, field support systems, the Ahuti electric interceptor and the Nightshade family of jet-powered uncrewed aircraft
- International event
- MSPO in Kielce, Poland
Quotes
Jayant Khatri
Co-founder of Hyderabad-based defence startup Apollyon Dynamics
“Training people to work on highly specialised systems also takes time, so building and retaining that team has been one of our biggest challenges, but also one of the most important things we have invested in early on”
thehansindia.com
“Building groundbreaking technology requires people with very specific skills, and finding that talent, especially for the defence space, is difficult because there is still a significant skill gap”
thehansindia.com
Sources
Related news
India's GCCs Face Talent Shortages as Advanced Skills Demand Rises
Ammunic Systems Seeks to Advance India’s Defence Technology
T-Hub, Indian Army Central Command Partner to Accelerate Defence Start-Ups
Swarna Builds People Behind India’s Private Space Revolution
India’s AI Data-Centre Expansion Faces a Talent Bottleneck
India’s Deep-Tech Startups Face Test Beyond Building Technology
IIT-Ropar to Award MTech Degrees to Army Officers
Major Navya Shekhawat Becomes Army’s First Woman Presidential ADC
World War II Mortar Shell Found Along Bengal Riverbank
India Approves Rs 1.1 Trillion Defence Acquisitions
