• Sanlayan Technologies secured ₹186 crore in a Series A round led by Ashish Kacholia, Lashit Sanghvi, and Jungle Ventures.
  • The startup is developing AESA Radar systems for India's UUV program and plans to increase its engineering headcount fivefold.

Bengaluru-based aerospace and defence startup Sanlayan Technologies has secured ₹186 crore in an oversubscribed Series A funding round.

The investment was led by Ashish Kacholia, Lashit Sanghvi, and Jungle Ventures, with additional backing from existing investors Gemba Capital, Singularity Ventures, and new participant Shastra VC.

This follows Sanlayan’s earlier ₹36 crore funding in March 2024 from Jungle Ventures through its First Cheque@Jungle platform.

Strategic Expansion and Key Acquisition

Sanlayan recently acquired a majority stake in Dexcel Electronics, a leading ESDM firm involved in iconic Indian defence programs such as Jaguar, Sukhoi, LCA Tejas, and Chandrayaan-3.

This acquisition marks a significant step in Sanlayan’s mission to scale within the defence electronics value chain.

“Sanlayan’s ability to execute at both operational and strategic levels has been outstanding,” noted Rishab Malik, Partner at Jungle Ventures.
“The revenue ramp-up at Dexcel, combined with strategic capital and Sanlayan’s operating discipline, reinforces our confidence in their ability to scale sustainably.”

The company is currently developing AESA Radar systems for India’s unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) program. It has also entered into partnerships with five Indian startups and international OEMs to co-develop advanced defence technologies.

“What drew us to Sanlayan was their clear understanding of India’s defence electronics landscape and their hybrid strategy to address it,” said investor Ashish Kacholia.

With fresh capital in hand, Sanlayan plans to increase its engineering workforce fivefold over the next six months. The startup is actively recruiting R&D scientists, armed forces veterans, and industry leaders to accelerate development in CUAS and electronic warfare systems.

Co-founder and CEO Rohan Gala affirmed their commitment to both organic and inorganic growth while boosting in-house R&D capabilities.

Edited by Annette George