Sagar Defence Engineering Invests in EndureAir Systems to Strengthen India’s Indigenous Aerial Robotics Ecosystem!
Sagar Defence Engineering Private Limited has made a strategic investment in EndureAir Systems Pvt Ltd, an aerospace startup incubated at IIT Kanpur, reinforcing its commitment to advancing India’s homegrown capabilities in aerial robotics and unmanned systems. The move aligns with India’s broader push toward self-reliance in defence technologies and reflects a growing focus on supporting domestic innovators developing mission-ready solutions for complex operational environments.
Founded by Capt. Nikunj Parashar along with Mridul Babbar, Lakshay Dang, Ankit Kumar, and Saurabh Patil, Sagar Defence Engineering has positioned itself as a key player in transforming India’s defence sector through autonomous and unmanned platforms. The company works across multiple domains, including maritime, aerial, terrestrial, and sub-surface systems, with a strong emphasis on indigenous design and advanced autonomy. Its investment in EndureAir Systems represents a natural extension of this vision, aimed at strengthening the domestic defence technology ecosystem by backing technically strong teams with scalable innovations.
EndureAir Systems was founded by Dr Abhishek, Rama Krishna, and Chirag Jain, who translated advanced academic research conducted at IIT Kanpur into practical aerial platforms designed specifically for Indian defence and strategic applications. The company focuses on developing high-endurance, robust unmanned aerial systems capable of operating in demanding real-world conditions. Its work addresses critical gaps in surveillance, reconnaissance, and operational support, where reliability, endurance, and adaptability are essential.
The collaboration between Sagar Defence Engineering and EndureAir Systems is rooted in a shared philosophy of long-term capability building rather than short-term gains. Capt. Nikunj Parashar described the investment as more than a financial transaction, highlighting that it is based on common values such as perseverance, innovation, and a deep commitment to strengthening national defence readiness. According to him, supporting startups that combine strong research foundations with practical engineering execution is essential for building a resilient and self-sustaining defence technology base in India.
From EndureAir’s perspective, the partnership brings together complementary strengths. Dr Abhishek noted that Sagar Defence Engineering’s strategic leadership, operational understanding, and industry insight will help accelerate EndureAir’s technology development and deployment. By combining research-driven innovation with real-world defence experience, the collaboration aims to shorten development cycles and ensure that advanced aerial systems transition more quickly from prototype to operational use.
Going forward, both companies plan to work closely on advancing unmanned and autonomous aerial platforms with a strong focus on indigenous development and manufacturing. The partnership is expected to contribute to reducing India’s dependence on imported unmanned systems, while enhancing domestic capabilities across surveillance, defence preparedness, and strategic operations. It also supports national priorities such as Aatmanirbhar Bharat by fostering a robust ecosystem where startups, industry players, and research institutions collaborate to deliver globally competitive solutions.
Sagar Defence Engineering’s platform-agnostic command-and-control technologies, which enable assets to operate in remote, semi-autonomous, and fully autonomous modes, are expected to complement EndureAir’s aerial platforms. Together, the two organisations aim to create scalable, future-ready unmanned solutions that address India’s evolving defence and security requirements, while contributing to long-term technological sovereignty and innovation-led growth.
