Raphe mPhibr Raises $100M to Lead India's Military Drone Revolution
Indian drone startup Raphe mPhibr has captured global attention by raising $100 million in a Series B funding round led by General Catalyst. As military drone demand escalates due to evolving warfare strategies and national security concerns, the startup is positioning itself at the forefront of India’s defense innovation. The fresh capital will significantly strengthen its R&D and boost production capabilities, supporting India’s goal to reduce reliance on foreign drone imports and build a robust domestic defense ecosystem. Raphe mPhibr’s success story is not just about investment—it's about technological self-sufficiency in modern warfare, a topic that’s attracting massive interest among defense analysts, investors, and policymakers alike.
Growing Military UAV Demand Drives Raphe mPhibr’s $100M Funding
The surge in global military conflicts and territorial tensions has amplified the demand for advanced unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Recent confrontations, such as the India-Pakistan war, underscored the strategic value of drones in combat, surveillance, and logistics missions. India responded by tripling its drone expenditure to an estimated $470 million over the next 12–14 months, signaling a strong governmental push toward drone modernization. This momentum created fertile ground for homegrown companies like Raphe mPhibr to scale up rapidly. While China continues to dominate the global drone market, India is now accelerating its indigenous UAV development, with Raphe mPhibr emerging as a key player aiming to reduce foreign dependency and deliver specialized drones that match national defense needs.
Inside Raphe mPhibr’s Drone Lineup and Government Partnerships
Raphe mPhibr’s product portfolio includes nine military-grade drones, each engineered for specific missions across sea, air, and land. Their lineup features the mR10 for operational drone swarms, mR20 for high-altitude logistics support, the X8 for maritime surveillance, and Bharat—a lightweight drone for swift reconnaissance in rugged terrain. These drones offer payload capacities ranging from 2 to 200 kilograms, with flight distances between 20 and 200 kilometers. The startup already supplies to over 10 Indian government agencies, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Border Security Force, CRPF, and Indo-Tibetan Border Police. Their deep collaboration with defense forces allows them to build purpose-driven UAV solutions, refined through close engagement with field operations and evolving combat scenarios.
Founders' Vision: Innovating India's Drone Capabilities from the Ground Up
Founded in 2017 by Vikash and Vivek Mishra, Raphe mPhibr is the result of a clear mission—to create drones tailored for India’s defense requirements from the ground up. The brothers, alumni of MIT and Georgia Tech, began conceptualizing the company in 2016 by closely studying the needs of Indian defense forces. They initially focused on building multicopters and gradually expanded to fixed-wing and VTOL platforms. Rather than relying on off-the-shelf solutions, Raphe mPhibr chose to build both software and hardware in-house to ensure full control over performance, security, and innovation. With this $100M boost, the company is poised to scale both its manufacturing footprint and technical excellence, aligning with India's larger goal of becoming a global defense tech powerhouse.
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