When Operation Sindoor unfolded along India's northern borders, it wasn't only the Indian armed forces that were being tested - it was also the country's emerging private defence tech. Among those thrust into the frontline of modern warfare was Zuppa Geo Navigation Technologies, a Chennai-based startup led by 30-year-old innovator Venkatesh Sai.

In an exclusive chat on Mic'd Up With India's Defencepreneurs with Adith Charlie, Head of Content, Asianet News Digital, Sai describes the turning point bluntly:

“Operation Sindoor has really opened everybody's eyes. Today we have realized what has to be done and we are working actively towards doing it.”

A Real Battlefield, Not a Simulation

Before Operation Sindoor, Indian drone technology had rarely faced coordinated electronic warfare. Suddenly, jammers, spoofers, and directed attacks were everywhere.

Sai recounts the harsh awakening:

“Till now we have been only simulating situations. We never really faced a situation for the product.”

“You know, earlier, before companies like us entered this space, it was usually the Israelis or the Russians who solved these problems for the ministry. But now that the forces are working with many Indian companies, we are the ones who have to understand the issues and create the solutions,” he added.

His company deployed 34 drone units in an around the Pathankot area, each flying close to the Line of Control to monitor hostile movement:

“So we had about thirty-four units totally deployed... primarily for just, not intrusing... going up to the LOC and seeing what's at least happening."”

When GPS jammers hit them, Zuppa had to innovate overnight:

“When we first deployed our Ajeet Mini Hawk platforms across the border zone, we encountered significant electronic warfare at about 200–300 meters AMSL. They were using what we call wide-spectrum GPS jammers. This was for over-the-top operations - not even crossing the border. Even when we were about two kilometres from the Line of Control, we were facing these issues. The drones couldn't reach the LOC to see what was happening,” Sai recalled.

“So what was the solution? We realised the drones were getting affected and not able to perform, so we first increased the altitude at which they flew. That worked temporarily. Then we noticed directed jamming being used. So we had to switch frequencies right there in the field. It was a huge learning experience - and I would say the learning hasn't stopped. It has been continuously evolving, both for the end users and for us. We all are trying to solve the problem because we have experienced firsthand what the systems are subjected to in the field,” he added.

A Zuppa engineer remained stationed near the border through the conflict:“He was keeping on telling us, you know, what was the issue.”

The Next War: Hack-Proof Drones

After realizing how vulnerable external navigation support can be, Sai says a new philosophy emerged:

“Any... guidance or navigation function... has to evolve to be self-contained... It does not rely upon any external data source like GPS.”

The future, he insists, lies in quantum-based sensors: 

“Once you have that kind of a self-sustained system, it's extremely tough to actually hack it. You might be able to disrupt it in some way for a short time, but as such, taking over and hacking will be a kind of an impossibility."

'Made in Chennai, Not Made in China'

At a time when Chinese drones dominate global markets, Sai takes pride in being different:

“Yeah, made in Chennai, definitely. I would say that close to 90% of our components today are indigenous, right within the SOM itself - within the chip. In terms of resistors and capacitors, we source them from Vishay Semiconductors and other suppliers within India," he said.

“Of course, as of now, the core microprocessors are still imported, but we are working with CDAC on their new Thejas32 indigenous microcontroller. We have been given access to it and are currently in the process of adapting it. So, this is truly Made in Chennai, Made in India. That is something we are proud of. Very consciously, as a company, we have avoided the easy route of using off-the-shelf components. We only sell things that we make. That's very clear - if we don't make it, we don't sell it,” he declared.

From Hobby Kid to Defence Innovator

Sai's journey began in his teens:“From ten years of age... I used to do a lot of aero modeling and drone flying.”

He turned his passion into a profession - and a company - while still in college. But entrepreneurship was far from glamorous:

“It's not very glamorous initially. It in fact involves a lot of hard work and lot of failures.”

Failures? He has seen more than most:“As of today, we have close to about 1,250 successful deployments. We might have had... two to three times of that as failures.”

His biggest lesson for young defencepreneurs:“Don't ever try to take a shortcut. In today's world, we have a lot of enticements to take shortcuts... to be able to monetize things, but they rarely turn out to be sustainable. Take the effort. Make something in your own niche. You have the entire control over what you've made. And it might take a slightly longer time, or require more effort. Nowadays, in fact, with AI, the time needed is reduced - it only takes more effort."

“So, if you go down that road, you build something sustainable,” he added.

A Father-Son Startup - Unusual in Deep Tech

Unlike most Indian startups that strive to be young and edgy, Zuppa is proudly family-run. Venkatesh Sai started the business himself, rather than inheriting it from the previous generation. He admitted that while he has now developed commercial acumen,“when I started, I was purely a tech person - a technocrat. That works within certain ecosystems, but once you step out into the broader world, that alone doesn't stand. You need commercial sense and business acumen.”

Early on, Sai faced challenges in commercializing the technology.“In 2017, before we got our seed funding, we had to commercialize and show that this technology was viable. I needed some proof-of-concept use cases... the best alternative was my dad. He had a lot of experience and today is considered one of the thought leaders in the drone space. This company wouldn't have reached this level without his help.”

Working with family brought its own challenges. Sai noted,“The challenge... is amplified because there's a personal element involved. Most discussions in the company also spill over to home, so there's a very blurry line between personal and professional.”

He added that differences in opinion were natural, especially for younger entrepreneurs:“Someone with experience may have tried similar things and failed... Take it as a learning opportunity - that reduces the conflicts that arise.”

Giving Back Through Drones - In Surprising Ways

For Sai, the greatest satisfaction comes not from the battlefield, but the classroom. He believes in bridging the gap in India's education system for aerospace electronics and avionics.

Zuppa has partnered with IITs, IISc, and defence institutions to teach real-world drone systems to students. Sai noted,“Avionics - I've learned it the hard way over nearly 12 years in this industry... Today, I impart this knowledge to various institutions. For instance, when we were training first- and second-year students at IIT Madras, they said, 'Sir, even if I put this into AI or ChatGPT, I don't get this perspective because these are all hard-earned lessons.'”

He emphasized the company's commitment to free knowledge sharing:“Things we've learned from the field - taking something totally radical, proving it, and making it work - that's what really excites me. In the Drone Labs program, through our LMS, we don't charge for any of this knowledge... I've always believed that knowledge grows only when it's shared.”

India's Drone Future is Here - And It's Learning Fast

Operation Sindoor established one undeniable fact: India can no longer depend on allies for unmanned warfare. Companies like Zuppa are now at the center of a national security transformation.

Sai sums up the responsibility simply:

“Only the technology will dictate who would be able to continue to supply to the armed forces.”

If agility under fire is the new benchmark, Zuppa has passed its trial by combat - not in a lab, but in a real war.

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