Raghu Vamsi Aerospace unveils new DeepTech facility, launches six indigenous UAV platforms
Hyderabad, December 15. Raghu Vamsi Aerospace Group on December 15 announced a major expansion of its defence manufacturing footprint with the launch of a new DeepTech design, production and integration facility, alongside the unveiling of six indigenously developed unmanned and autonomous defence systems.
The twin announcements, backed by an investment of over Rs. 100 crore, are expected to strengthen India’s push for self-reliance in next-generation unmanned and propulsion technologies under the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-reliant India) initiative.
The new facility, named the Citadel Campus, is located at Hardware Park near the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad. Building on the group’s existing manufacturing base, the campus adds large-scale infrastructure for design, system integration, assembly and testing, enabling faster turnaround times and scalable production for Indian strategic programmes as well as global customers.
Raghu Vamsi Aerospace Group currently operates 10 manufacturing facilities across three countries and employs over 1,000 people. The company supplies aero-engine and missile subsystems to global original equipment manufacturers as well as Indian defence public sector undertakings.
Alongside the infrastructure expansion, the group showcased six new defence product lines spanning unmanned aerial, ground and autonomous systems. These include jet-powered loitering munitions, decoy and target drones, tethered surveillance platforms, long-endurance kamikaze UAVs, unmanned ground vehicles, autonomous ground combat systems, micro turbojet engines, air-based missile launchers and robotic aircraft maintenance solutions. According to the company, the systems are designed for missions ranging from surveillance and deep strike to logistics and battlefield support, with operating ranges of over 300 km and speeds of up to 650 kmph.
The newly unveiled platforms – RV Astra, RV Maya, RV Lakshya, RV Rudra, RV Indra, RV Yodha and RV Drishti – underline India’s transition from an importer of UAV and propulsion technologies to a country capable of designing and manufacturing advanced unmanned systems at scale.
To accelerate indigenous development and defence exports, Raghu Vamsi Aerospace also signed four memoranda of understanding. These include a strategic agreement with the Indian Army’s 515 Army Base Workshop for the co-design, development, testing and validation of advanced drone platforms, with the aim of establishing in-house drone manufacturing and integration capabilities. Another MoU was signed with Bharat Dynamics Limited for the co-development and supply of fully indigenised 200 kgf thrust-class engines for next-generation autonomous fighter aircraft.
The group also entered into partnerships with IIIT Hyderabad for AI-driven autonomy, swarm intelligence and mission systems, and with the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI) for collaborative work on laser cladding, additive manufacturing and thermal barrier coatings for advanced aero engines.
The launch event was attended by senior leaders from the armed forces, defence industry and scientific institutions, including Vice Chief of the Naval Staff Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, BDL Chairman and Managing Director Commodore A. Madhavarao (Retd.), Army ADG–EME Maj Gen Shivendra Kumar, former DRDO chief G Satheesh Reddy, and Principal Adviser to the Ministry of Defence Lt Gen Vinod G Khandare, among others.
Commenting on the expansion, Vamsi Vikas, Founder and Managing Director of Raghu Vamsi Aerospace Group, said the new facility and product portfolio reflect India’s growing confidence in shaping its aerospace future. He said the investment was aimed not just at expanding capacity but at building core defence technologies in India, positioning the country to meet domestic requirements while emerging as a global supplier of high-technology aerospace systems.
