Hyderabad-based technology and manufacturing company Raghava Aerospace and Defence Pvt Ltd (RADPL) has inaugurated a cutting-edge facility in Kokapet, marking India's growing transformation from a defence importer to a global exporter. G Satheesh Reddy, former secretary, Department of Defence R&D, and former chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), inaugurated the facility earlier this week. Reddy noted that India's defence manufacturing ecosystem had come of age, with development-cum-production partners across the country manufacturing missiles, bombs and guns, where private industry accounts for about 40 per cent of these partners. He emphasized that the government has earmarked ₹1.39 trillion of the defence budget for indigenous manufacturing under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, calling it a clear signal of opportunity before Indian industry.
The facility launch featured a major announcement with RADPL announcing a joint venture with Peridot Advanced Materials for the MALE-300 programme, a fully indigenous Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE)-class unmanned aircraft. The indigenous MALE-300 is an unmanned intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) drone project featuring a 300-kg modular payload capacity, 30-hour endurance and an operating altitude of 30,000 feet, with a fully Indian-owned design. This project represents a significant leap in India's unmanned aerial systems capability, aligning with the country's ambition to dominate the UAV sector.
Reddy observed that India had transformed from an importer into an exporter of defence equipment, pointing out that Armenia showcased three Indian weapon systems in its Republic Day parade — a moment of pride for the country's defence industry. According to Business Standard, he advised the RADPL team to focus not only on indigenous manufacturing but also on exports, stating that the company should set its sights beyond the domestic market. Likhith Reddy Ponguleti, managing director of RADPL, confirmed that Reddy's message serves as their roadmap to take proven indigenous capability in RF, telemetry, embedded systems and composites, scale it into production for defence programmes, and carry it to export markets. The launch of RADPL is expected to contribute significantly to Hyderabad's emergence as a hub for aerospace and defence manufacturing, further strengthening India's strategic autonomy.
RADPL is an Indian electronic system design and manufacturing company serving aerospace, defence and homeland security programmes, working across three verticals — research and development, electronic system design and manufacturing, and composite structures. The company's Hyderabad facilities include a Class 100,000 clean room for microwave assembly, RF and microwave test infrastructure up to 40 GHz, ESD-controlled assembly and integration laboratories, and a full composite manufacturing line consisting of filament winding, autoclave, large-format CNC tape winding, industrial oven, hydraulic press, prepreg, radiographic and ultrasonic testing. The team brings together more than 200 man-years of engineering experience across more than 10 active defence programmes.
The company has grown through five strategic acquisitions — DTS, which specialises in electronic warfare and wideband RF; HQPPL, focused on missile-borne RF systems and telemetry; Signalinx Techsystems, which works on FPGA-based embedded systems and power electronics; Rainbow Advanced Composites, which makes ablative and FRP missile components; and Aerospace Advanced Composites, which specialises in large composite structures and thermal protection. According to Business Standard, these businesses have been integrated into a single design, qualification and production platform, with RADPL engaged in the design, development and production of mission-critical RF and microwave systems, electronic warfare products, airborne electronics, embedded and power-electronic systems, and aerospace composite structures for critical defence and homeland security programmes.
