India-based defence startup Raphe mPhibr raises $100 million in a funding round led by General Catalyst, marking the largest private capital raise in the aerospace manufacturing sector to date.
India’s rapidly growing aerospace and defence-tech ecosystem saw a major milestone as Noida-based startup Raphe mPhibr announced a $100 million funding round led by US-based investment firm General Catalyst. This marks the largest private capital infusion in the Indian aerospace manufacturing sector to date.
Founded nearly a decade ago by siblings Vivek Mishra (CEO) and Vikash Mishra (Chairman), Raphe mPhibr designs and manufactures cutting-edge unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) including tactical systems such as the mR10 drone swarm platform, mR20 high-altitude logistics drone, Bharat surveillance drone, and X8 maritime patrol system. Several of these technologies are already in use by Indian defence forces, with others nearing deployment readiness.
In addition to General Catalyst, investors such as Think Investments, Amal Parikh, and other prominent family offices also participated in the round. With this, the company’s total funding now stands at $145 million.
The startup operates a vertically integrated aerospace campus in Noida, housing specialist teams across aerodynamics, thermodynamics, and material sciences—enabling end-to-end in-house development and production.
We are proud to join forces with Raphe mPhibr on their transformative journey to redefine engineering-led manufacturing across critical applications. The products emerging from Raphe mPhibr are already making a tangible impact on the ground.”
Neeraj Arora, Managing Director at General Catalyst
The funding comes amid increasing reliance on drones in modern military operations, highlighted by their extensive deployment during the recent India-Pakistan standoff. Raphe mPhibr’s expansion aligns with the Indian government’s push to develop a strong private aerospace ecosystem through initiatives such as the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) programme.
India’s Ministry of Defence has also signaled greater collaboration with private players, including the recent transfer of satellite launch vehicle technology to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), further indicating the country’s ambitions to become a self-reliant defence manufacturing hub.
