Sanlayan secures Rs 186 Cr in Series A funding from Jungle Ventures, others

Sanlayan Technologies, a startup in the aerospace and defence sector, has secured Rs 186 crore in its Series A funding round led by investors Ashish Kacholia, Lashit Sanghvi, and Jungle Ventures.

The company’s latest funding round included participation from existing investors Gemba Capital and Singularity Ventures, along with new investor Shastra VC.

The Bengaluru-headquartered firm focuses on designing and developing advanced electronic systems such as radar, electronic warfare solutions, and mission-critical avionics.

Its strategy for developing its capabilities involves acquiring and expanding established Indian defence MSMEs, investing in in-house technology development, and forming international partnerships. 

With the fresh funding, the firm plans to further strengthen this approach and support initiatives of national strategic significance.

“We will continue to acquire capabilities both organically and inorganically. We are allocating capital for suo-moto development of critical technologies for CUAS and EW systems,” Rohan Gala, Co-founder and CEO of Sanlayan, said.

CUAS, or counter-unmanned aerial systems, refer to technologies used to detect, track, and neutralise unauthorised or hostile drones. EW, or electronic warfare, involves the use of electromagnetic spectrum operations, such as jamming, deception, or interception, to disrupt or protect against enemy communications and radar systems.

In January, Sanlayan acquired a majority stake in Dexcel Electronics Designs, a company with more than 20 years of experience in electronic system design and manufacturing for the aerospace, defence, and space industries.

Dexcel has been involved in key defence and space projects, such as the upgrades of Jaguar and Sukhoi aircraft, as well as ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya-L1 missions.

The acquisition enhanced Sanlayan’s capacity to provide advanced, locally developed solutions aligned with national security needs and technological progress in key sectors.

Gala noted that over the past six months, the company has improved Dexcel’s design and manufacturing capabilities and is preparing to undertake large-scale indigenisation and upgrade projects.

“Sanlayan’s ability to execute at both operational and strategic levels has been outstanding. The revenue ramp-up at Dexcel, combined with strategic capital and Sanlayan’s operating discipline, reinforces our confidence in their ability to scale sustainably across the defence electronics value chain,” said Rishab Malik, Partner at Jungle Ventures, a Singapore-based firm.

In March 2024, Sanlayan raised Rs 36 crore in funding through a round led by Jungle Ventures, via its First Cheque@Jungle platform.

The Bengaluru-based firm is developing an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar for India’s unmanned underwater vehicle programme using its internal research and development resources. 

The company has also partnered with five Indian startups and international original equipment manufacturers to collaborate on the development of advanced technologies.

Sanlayan was founded in September 2023 by IIT and IIM graduates Gala, Abhijit Kothawale, and Rahul Vamsidhar. The founders have leadership experience from organisations such as L&T, Tata Advanced, Mahindra, ITC, Ola, RBS Bank, and Zetwerk.

“What drew us to Sanlayan was their clear understanding of India’s defence electronics landscape, and their hybrid strategy to solve it…We are proud to back a team that’s accelerating indigenous capability and contributing meaningfully to India’s national security,” said Ashish Kacholia, a prominent Indian investor.