Sector Briefing · India
Defence & Security
Data as of 12 Oct 2026Methodology
India’s Defence and Security deep-tech sector is a substantial and patent-intensive frontier, with a strong concentration of foreign intellectual property filings underscoring its strategic importance. Teams are heavily focused on cybersecurity and biometric authentication, building solutions for network intrusion detection, access control, and personal safety wearables. The technical core rests on machine learning, deep learning, and edge computing, with anomaly detection and IoT systems enabling real-time threat response.
India has 687 defence & security startups mapped; 14,167 patent applications analysed, of which 2,409 are granted; 1,010 foreign filers are active in the sector.
- Startups:
- 687
- Patents:
- 14,167
- Granted:
- 2,409
- Foreign share:
- 14%
- Inventors:
- 44,005
- In opposition window:
- 543
Why this page exists - and how to read it
A one-page brief of this sector: its filing trend, the problems being worked on, the technologies in play, who files most, foreign interest, and a sample of the startups we've mapped to it. Each panel is a door - most drill into a fuller view.
- Investors
- Read the trend and foreign share first - momentum plus outside interest - then scan the roster for patent-backed startups.
- Founders & operators
- The problems list is a whitespace map: crowded themes are validated demand, thin ones are open ground.
- Corporate & R&D
- Top filers and technologies show who to benchmark and where the sector is consolidating.
- Policy & TTO
- The domestic-vs-foreign filing split signals where Indian players lead - and where outside applicants dominate.
687
Startups
14,167
Patents
2,409
Granted
1,010
Foreign filers
44,005
Inventors
Who's filing
Indian companies lead - institutes & foreign kept separate
- BLUEST METTLE SOLUTIONSIN · 182
- CHAIRMAN DEFENCE RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION DRDOIN · 156
- BHARAT ELECTRONICSIN · 149
- HINDUSTAN AERONAUTICSIN · 105
- Individual / Self-FilerIN · 72
- ZEN TECHNOLOGIESIN · 52
Educational institutes (6) - ranked by grant rate (share of filings granted, sample-adjusted), not filing volume
- INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY KANPUR20 of 30 granted
- NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY PATNA15 of 26 granted
- INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY MADRAS14 of 24 granted
- NATIONAL FORENSIC SCIENCES UNIVERSITY9 of 15 granted
- INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY HYDERABAD12 of 25 granted
- SRM INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY20 of 52 granted
Foreign applicants - 14% of filings
- QUALCOMMUS · 89
- MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSINGUS · 71
- SAMSUNG ELECTRONICSKR · 50
- THALESFR · 50
- SICPA HOLDINGCH · 48
- GOOGLEUS · 37
Filing trend
Chart starts at 2022 - earlier years reflect granted-only survivorship, not full filing volume.
View data
| Year | Domestic | Foreign | Granted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1183 | 432 | 3 |
| 2023 | 1871 | 415 | 28 |
| 2024 | 2349 | 395 | 656 |
| 2025 | 3129 | 384 | 353 |
| 2026 | 2454 | 132 | 452 |
Capital in this sector
Web-sourced funding across the deep-tech startups we track - a snapshot, not a time series
38
Funded startups
~$134.7M
Total raised
~$1.0M
Median raise
2 / 1
Series A / B+
Notable funded startups
- Tonbo ImagingSeries D+ · ~$55M
- Big Bang Boom SolutionsOther · ~$35.1M
- SanlayanSeries A · ~$22.4M
- Sisir RadarSeries A · ~$10.4M
- Altair Infrasec · ~$2.4M
- NanoSniffOther · ~$2.3M
- DynaspedeSeed · ~$1.3M
- Ammunic SystemsSeed · ~$1.1M
15 raised at seed / pre-Series A. Funding is from public sources and may contain errors - verify before relying on it. Company details, funding, stage, investors and brand names here are AI-matched to public web sources - not human-verified. Coverage is incomplete and some records may be matched to the wrong company. Treat as a directional starting point, verify before relying on any figure, and note the platform takes no responsibility for errors.
Public money in this sector
Government missions and funds, as their own releases state them
ADITI (Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX)
Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence · Launched on 4 March 2024
- Outlay
- ₹750 crore
- Period
- 2023-24 to 2025-26
- Grant per startup
- Up to ₹25 crore
- About 30 deep-tech critical and strategic defence technologies
- Satellite communication, cyber, autonomous systems, semiconductors, AI, quantum, nuclear and underwater surveillance
A mission's own bodies and hubs, registered as not-for-profit or government companies, are not counted among the funded startups on this page. A grant or an investment a mission makes in a startup is that startup's funding.
Problems being solved
Patents mapped · click to see the filers
Technologies in play
Patents mapped
| Label | Patents |
|---|---|
| Machine Learning | 1,39810% |
| Deep Learning | 6935% |
| Anomaly Detection | 6545% |
| IoT | 5374% |
| Artificial Intelligence | 4343% |
| Edge Computing | 3713% |
| Microcontroller | 3603% |
| Facial Recognition | 3542% |
| Blockchain | 3372% |
| Computer Vision | 3302% |
| GPS Tracking | 3242% |
| Wireless Communication | 3042% |
| GPS | 2922% |
| Sensor Fusion | 2372% |
| Feature Extraction | 2342% |
| Cloud Computing | 2342% |
| Convolutional Neural Networks | 2272% |
| Image Processing | 2262% |
| Biometric Authentication | 2081% |
| Federated Learning | 2081% |
| Real-Time Monitoring | 1991% |
| Encryption | 1921% |
| Object Detection | 1871% |
| Raspberry Pi | 1801% |
| Autonomous Navigation | 1741% |
| Thermal Imaging | 1621% |
| Reinforcement Learning | 1601% |
| Face Recognition | 1571% |
| Natural Language Processing | 1571% |
| Network Traffic Analysis | 1441% |
Problems and technologies are grouped from each patent's text by AI, so treat the buckets as a map of what the sector works on - not an exact count. Open a bucket to see the filings behind it.
Where startups are mapped
| State | Startups mapped |
|---|---|
| Maharashtra | 102 |
| Karnataka | 101 |
| Telangana | 92 |
| Delhi | 81 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 70 |
| Tamil Nadu | 53 |
| Haryana | 48 |
| Gujarat | 35 |
| Kerala | 20 |
| West Bengal | 15 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 12 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 11 |
When these companies were incorporated
480 companies with a company-register match, 137 of them with matched IP. Open a year to see the companies founded in it.
Incorporation dates come from the MCA register, which we have matched for about 69% of the deep-tech base - so this is the shape of the cohort, not a census of it. It is also not the DPIIT recognition date, which can be years later.
Startups · 15 of 687
Classified into Defence & Security by their primary technology focus (shown under each name). IP chips count a company's total matched patents, designs and trademarks - across all sectors.
AAYANSH GERMINATE PRIVATE LIMITED
IT Services
Aayansh Germinate Founded in July 2017 with a mission to provide an innovative solution to the various business requirement which includes but not limit software and web development, business consulting and IT training. Along with this, we are more specialized to provide customiz
Pune
SEPIO PRODUCTS PRIVATE LIMITED
Internet of Things
Sepio is a technology platform focused on digital supply chain transformation and security. We do this by creating unique digital identities at the SKU level, which can be aggregated up to any level (e.g., carton, pallet). Â Our mission is to make the world better one product
Palghar
RAPHE MPHIBR PRIVATE LIMITED
Design
Yet to be updated
Gautam Buddha Nagar
AITURING TECHNOLOGIES PRIVATE LIMITED
Aeronautics Aerospace & Defence
AI Turing Technologies is a startup deep-tech defence startup developing next-generation indigenous combat systems by fusing AI, robotics, electro-optics, and advanced munitions. Our R&D is focused on Remote Controlled Weapon Stations (RCWS), AI-driven Counter-UAS systems, electr
Pune
AAIZEL INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES PRIVATE LIMITED
AI
Aaizel International Technologies Pvt Ltd is a technology company that leverages advanced AI technologies to help businesses and organisations solve complex problems and achieve their objectives. Our business nature is centered around the pursuit of innovation, development, and
Ahmedabad
TINKERBEE INNOVATIONS PRIVATE LIMITED
Technology Hardware
One of the inventions is a low cost digital nameplate that broadcasts location address of houses and offices for easy discovery and guidance of the last mile. A lot of services like e-commerce and smart cities critically require last mile navigation and address verification. Th
Bengaluru Urban
MATDUN LABS INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED
Computer Vision
Matdun is a pioneer in providing AI-Powered and computer vision enabled home security solutions for intelligent and safe living.Our Proprietary solutions using AI and Computer vision technologies help create superior,smarter and secure residential and commercial spaces
Ranga Reddy
Synersoft Technologies Private Limited
Technology Hardware
Synersoft, the maker of path breaking and disruptive technology for SMEs, now branded as BLACKbox, is incubated and invested portfolio company of CIIE - IIM-Ahmedabad (Center for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship at Indian Institute of Management - Ahmedabad). Synersof
Ahmedabad
COM OLHO IT PRIVATE LIMITED
AI
Com Olho is a SaaS based, AI-assisted Bug Bounty Platform to uncover vulnerabilities through a community of cyber security researchers each of which follow a stringent KYC process, allowing organisations to strengthen their online systems and applications, ensuring security compl
Gurugram
PANOPLIA DIGITAL PROTECTION PRIVATE LIMITED
Security Solutions
Reports show that one in four people will become victims of malicious and fake ads on social media in 2021. The frauds no doubt cost monetary loss to users. But will they be able to trust social media ads anymore?A new report estimates the loss suffered by customers due to social
Hyderabad
UNNAYAN DEFENCE TECHNOLOGIES LLP
Aeronautics Aerospace & Defence
UNNAYAN DEFENCE TECHNOLOGIES LLP is committed to produce cutting edge products that are cost effective. The company also planning to generate revenue in Licensing revenue model, where it intends to license its intellectual property.
Ranga Reddy
SEPIO SOLUTIONS PRIVATE LIMITED
Enterprise Software
To carry on the business of designing, developing, exporting, importing, purchasing, hosting, selling, distributing, marketing, consultancy and training in all kinds of software, hardware, systems, programs, products, applications, technologies, networking and services for all pu
Mumbai Suburban
GLV SAFE-N-SECURE PRIVATE LIMITED
Security Solutions
GLV SecURhomE" does not interfere in your traditional locking methods. It joins hands with your traditional locks and gives an additional power to your doors. "GLV SecURhomE" locking system has a holding capacity of more than 500kg per lock. Installing a set of "GLV SecURhomE" in
Coimbatore
MAULIAUTH INFOTECH PRIVATE LIMITED
Security Solutions
MauliAuth Infotech Private Limited is a founder-led DeepTech startup building secure, privacy-preserving digital trust infrastructure to reduce trust gaps in digital interactions through original engineering and scalable verification workflows.
Akola
PRAMA INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED
Security Solutions
Prama is the India’s indigenous video security brand. As an incredible success story of ‘Make-in-India’ vision, it celebrates the maxim of ‘Made for India, Made by India, Made in India’ for a self-reliant India. It’s state-of-the-art manufacturing shows its long term
Mumbai
Deep-tech basis: site-backed (own website fetched and read), IP-backed (patent or design filed in its own name), web-backed (described elsewhere on the open web), registry only (registry description alone). How this is decided
See all 687 mapped startups
Full rosters and startup profiles come with a subscription.
Showing 15 of 687.
Briefings on this sector
funding brief
Missions Outspend Investors 115 to 1 in Chips. In Space, Investors Lead 7 to 1.
We set ten government missions and funds against the private rounds on our record in the same sectors. In chips, quantum, critical minerals and green hydrogen, the state has committed more than every private round the sector's startups have on our record. In space, robotics, defence, health and mobility, investors have put in more. AI is close to level.
funding brief
The RDI Fund Pays Half. How Many Indian Deeptech Companies Can Raise the Other Half?
The ₹1 lakh crore RDI Fund will finance no more than half of a project; the company must find the rest. The first 22 approvals needed a median ₹101 crore each from their own or private sources. In the past year, 47 deep-tech companies on our list closed a private round of ₹100 crore or more.
tech brief
India Has 3,344 Funded Deeptech Companies. Ninety-Seven Have Reached Series B.
The received wisdom is that Indian deeptech trails the West by a few years. We tested that across eleven sectors and it holds in three. The real gap is not timing. It is that a 2014-2020 cohort of Indian deeptech converts from seed to Series B at 7.2%, against 12.3% in the UK and 18.7% in the US.
tech brief
India’s Video Anomaly Detection: Real-Time, Privacy-First
From crowded streets to sensitive sites, Indian innovators are tackling false alarms, latency, and privacy with hybrid edge-AI and adaptive learning.