Two Indian companies (Bonv Aero and Etherealx) are taking advantage of the opportunity to enter the American Airlines mobility and commercial launch market. The I2A LaunchPad facilitates their interaction with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and its Defense Innovation Unit (DIU).
The India-United States Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) was launched in Washington DC in 2023. In the February 2025 US-India Joint Leaders’ Statement, President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi reinforced their commitment to the INDUS-X initiative, which facilitates partnerships between US and Indian defence companies, commercial start-ups, investors and Universities to produce critical capabilities for the military of both countries. President and Prime Minister Modi announced the Indus Innovation, a new innovation bridge based on the successful Indus-X platform, which will drive industry and academic partnerships in the United States and promote investment in space, energy and other emerging technologies to sustain our and India’s innovative leadership and meet the needs of the 21st century.
I2A LaunchPad has collaborated between FedTech and Industbridge Ventures to support Indian startups to integrate dual-use technologies and build operations in the highly competitive U.S. defense sector. The four-month program started in Mumbai in late January 2025 and brought together eight selected startups with consultants.
Bonv Aero, based in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, is developing advanced drones (UAVs) that can operate in extreme environments, while Bangalore-based Etherealx is building reusable medium rockets. As part of the I2A LaunchPad, both companies will receive training, guidance and post-procedural support from U.S. experts.
New heights: Reliable drones are critical for both military and commercial applications, especially in challenging terrain. Bonv Aero comes from the “Bon Voyage” founded in 2021, symbolizing the “Bon Voyage” that is safely landing. It is developing advanced drones to transport cargo at high altitudes and terrain of rare air. The company consists of six people, including CEO Satyabrata Satapathy and Co-Ceo Gaurav Acha.
“We all have a common goal to promote air mobility,” Satapathy shared. “Transport-class aviation vehicles are still in the early stages of India and we want to lead.”
Bonv Aero has worked with the Indian Army for several years as the OEM. “Indian defense systems face great challenges in the Himalayas,” Satapathy explained. “Chickers have limitations and relying solely on them for major payload transport is not a viable solution.”
Bonv Aero uses its military experience to hope to work with the U.S. defense and commercial drone market. “Our technology is dual-use, either by the military or commercially,” explained Baibhav Patel, Bonv Aero’s manager of government affairs and public policy. “We are working to address the midway and last-mile logic issues that exist in a variety of markets and terrain.”
Bonv Aero designs and manufactures in-house transport-class drones while developing software and hardware. “Our goal is to get US certification under programs such as Green UAS and Blue UAS. No Indian drone company has received this certification yet,” Patel said. Green UAS and Blue UAS certifications are programs that evaluate and verify the cybersecurity and supply chain compliance of drones, Blue UAS focuses on DOD applications, and Green UAS caters to commercial and non-DOD users.
The company is also focused on increasing the resilience of its supply chain. “The United States and India are both focused on improving supply chain resilience by reducing dependence on certain countries,” Patel explained.
Satapathy said their vehicle operates on a battery-powered system, overcomes the challenges of high-altitude operation and can lift 30 kilograms at 19,000 feet. The drones are also completely autonomous. “They are self-reliant, that is, they fly from a certain point to a hostile environment, land alone, deliver the payload and return automatically,” Satapathy said. “Our technology does not require pilots and ground control stations or large crew members.” He also mentioned the potential of the drone swarm: “Each drone can carry 50 kilograms, and they can be saturated with consumables together.”
Going forward, Bonv Aero aims to increase payload capacity to 58 kg at 18,000 feet and expand its drone range. “We plan to develop drones that can carry 500 kilograms and travel 300 kilometers,” Satapathy said. “This capability will enable transport capacity between cities or remote military bases.”
Exploring the Limits of Space: Etherealx CEO Manu Nair has always dreamed of exploring the universe. Driven by his desire to become an astronaut, he co-founded Etherealx.
Nair said the Etherealx’s rockets can withstand the ability to re-enter the heat, making it reusable. “We have established a new rocket engine cycle that allows us to operate the engine effectively in a vacuum and atmosphere,” he explained.
The team is now seeking to work with U.S. businesses and experts through the I2A LaunchPad. “Our goal is to enter the world’s largest space market,” he said. “We want to be exposed to space-centric funding and investment ecosystems within the U.S. because they have extensive experience in the space industry and are different from the rest of the world.”
Nair said his vehicle has the potential for interstellar travel and fast point-to-point delivery on Earth. Their technology enables precise landings, requiring only a small planar surface, making them useful for a variety of applications, including defense and logistics.
“We are also building our own testing facilities,” he added. “Our next milestone will be testing our propulsion systems, especially the upper propulsion cycle we design.”
