Armory, an IIT‑Bombay‑alumnus‑founded defence‑tech startup, wins a ₹100‑crore MoD order for its AI‑driven SURGE C‑UAS, marking a milestone for India’s indigenous defence ecosystem.
Armory lands landmark defence‑tech order
Armory, one of India’s fastest‑growing defence‑tech startups, has secured a landmark ₹100‑crore order from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for its AI‑powered SURGE Counter‑Unmanned Aircraft System (C‑UAS). The contract makes Armory one of the first privately funded defence‑tech startups of its scale to win such a large‑value defence contract in a short span of time. The award follows a series of rigorous field evaluations and trials, where Armory’s solution met extreme operational requirements for detecting, identifying, and neutralising rogue drones across diverse terrain and environmental conditions.
The order covers the production and deployment of SURGE systems, which use Armory’s proprietary Samaritan OS to continuously scan, detect, and deny unauthorised drones operating on non‑standard frequencies. The system adapts in real time to evolving drone behaviours, enabling effective protection of critical military and infrastructure sites.
A new benchmark in India’s defence‑tech sector
The contract marks a defining milestone in India’s defence modernisation and underscores the growing role of indigenous defence‑tech firms in delivering sovereign, field‑ready capabilities. Armory achieved this feat only fourteen months after conceiving the SURGE platform, demonstrating rapid design‑to‑deployment agility rare in the traditionally long‑cycle defence sector.
The selection also reflects a shift in MoD procurement philosophy, which increasingly emphasises outcome‑driven acquisition. Evaluators now assess young companies like Armory not only on their technical capability but also on their deployment readiness, speed of execution, and ease of integration with existing military systems. This approach aligns with the urgent operational need to counter evolving drone threats along India’s borders and sensitive installations.
From a ground‑level problem to a scalable solution
Armory was founded in 2024 by Amardeep Singh, an IIT‑Bombay alumnus, and operates as a lean, cross‑functional team of engineers, AI specialists, and defence‑domain experts. The company’s development model prioritises iterative product refinement driven by on‑ground feedback, rather than extended lab‑centric development cycles.
“There was no starting product,” Singh explained. “The starting point was a problem observed on the ground.” He highlighted the wide variation in drone‑threat profiles across India’s borders – differences in terrain, altitude, weather, line‑of‑sight, and clutter, as well as rapidly changing usage patterns. The SURGE system was developed with continuous inputs from users, ensuring it addressed specific battlefield conditions rather than offering a generic, one‑size‑fits‑all solution designed for other operating environments.
Expanding manufacturing, R&D, and product portfolio
Following the MoD order, Armory plans to scale its manufacturing capacity, onboard specialised talent, and accelerate the development of advanced indigenous defence technologies. The company is also expanding its world‑class R&D centre in Manesar, which serves as the hub for innovation in counter‑drone systems, signals intelligence, and electronic warfare.
While SURGE currently focuses on AI‑driven soft‑kill and electronic‑denial capabilities, Armory is actively developing a portfolio of hard‑kill counter‑drone technologies as well. These will include kinetic and directed‑energy solutions designed to physically intercept or destroy hostile drones, expanding Armory’s C‑UAS suite to offer a multi‑layered defence approach for both military and critical‑infrastructure customers.
Funding and growth roadmap
Armory has raised ₹35 crore in equity funding to date from investors such as growX, Antler, Industrial47, Dexter Ventures, AC Ventures, 8x, and Galiakotwala Engineering. The startup is now preparing to raise another funding round later this year, aimed at financing hardware development, scale‑up manufacturing, and broader commercial expansion.
The new capital will support the integration of hard‑kill capabilities into the existing SURGE platform and help Armory build a broader family of C‑UAS systems tailored for different operational scenarios – from border‑protection units and air‑force bases to urban‑critical‑infrastructure sites.
By combining AI‑driven sensing, adaptive identification, and layered neutralisation, Armory is positioning itself as a key enabler of India’s sovereign counter‑drone capability, strengthening national security and reinforcing the country’s growing stature in the global defence‑technology landscape.
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