Sky is not the limit for Radhika P, who’s steering Pinaka Aerospace to greater heights in the defence sector

In 2007, Radhika P transitioned from her scientist role at Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to start Pinaka Aerospace and provide cutting-edge solutions and technology for the defence and aerospace sector. 

She was entering an industry which very few women ventured into to start up, but this was not the first time that Radhika was forging a unique career path.

After completing her BSc in Hyderabad, she pursued an MSc in computer science in Mysuru–a course that was the vision of the then scientific adviser, Dr VS Arunachalam, with the idea that those passing it would be absorbed into DRDO. 

Working in electronic warfare

In 1991, Radhika joined the Defence Electronics Research Laboratory (DERL) of DRDO in Hyderabad, and for the next 17 years, she spearheaded groundbreaking initiatives in the realm of airborne and ground-based electronic warfare and communication intelligence systems.

She recalls that, initially, she had to find her own way to understand the “digital part” of electronics.

“I slowly understood the systems, gained the confidence of the scientists I was reporting to, and how to find a place for the programs we were writing, and how they could be deployed with the software in the forward areas,” she says.

After five years at the research laboratory, she moved to Bengaluru to work with another DRDO Lab – Defence Avionics Research Establishment. While in Hyderabad she worked in ground-based and ship-based electronic warfare, in Bengaluru, her focus shifted to airborne systems. 

“I was fortunate to work along with the armed forces directly while at DRDO. Since we developed the electronic warfare system, it was deployed, and the exploitation of the system in that use case in the frontline was my role. We were in charge of planning, programming and enabling the pilots to utilise the system effectively,” she explains. 

Being part of the operations of Kargil War and Operation Parakram also gave Radhika an insight into how the systems were deployed.

Seventeen years after she joined DRDO, Radhika decided to take a leap of faith and venture into entrepreneurship along with former IAF officer, Subodh Sharma, leading to the birth of Pinaka Aerospace. 

Starting off as a software and services company with three employees, Pinaka Aerospace grew into a product-based company. 

“Those days, the defence procurement policy was not just evolving. Tejas (combat aircraft) was just taking shape and it had not yet flown. We started with software development, verification and validation services, and when customers started accepting us, we started looking at being a product company, moving into designing and manufacturing,” she elaborates.

Solutions, services and products for defence and aerospace

Pinaka today is an industry leader offering a range of solutions and services including independent verification and validation of critical software,  maintenance, repair, and overhaul of airborne hardware. It operates from its one-lakh-square-feet facility in Bengaluru with over 200 employees. 

The company's niche technologies have played a pivotal role in indigenising sea-borne, ground-based, and airborne systems that are crucial for national defence.

Its product lineup, including automatic testers and simulators, provides support for a variety of IAF platforms, ensuring their optimal performance. It also offers alignment systems for missiles, thus showcasing its capability as an end-to-end provider of solutions across multiple domains.

Developing products and solutions for defence involves several challenges.  

“This is a domain where the entry barrier is very high, and there is zero tolerance for mistakes. This is because a fighter aircraft is at stake, a pilot’s life is at stake. So, all the critical technologies we develop go through rigorous rounds of testing, different from others,” says Radhika. 

She admits that it’s difficult to raise funding in the defence sector. 

“My focus was not to just go to anyone who can give me money. They should also work with the same passion and purpose. It’s a sheer joy to see our units being used by the armed services for the protection of the country,” she says.

Recently, Pinaka Aerospace was acquired by ZETWERK, a global source of manufacturing across industrial and consumer products.

“ZETWERK has given us full freedom, and we are now pitching for massive products along with them and are in a profitable space,” says the entrepreneur. 

Important to make in India

From Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commendation for developing the OSA-AK SAM-8 missile’s alignment system to the Outstanding Vendor award from Bharat Electronics Ltd, Pinaka has earned a number of accolades along its journey. 

Radhika is optimistic about Pinaka’s future, especially with the thrust on Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat.

“A lot of systems that are required for the country are being developed here itself. We want to be part of huge programs and also export to the rest of the world, and we believe in Make in India for the world,” she says.

As a former scientist and a successful entrepreneur, Radhika has been consistently breaking the male bastion. As a scientist, she remembers climbing the ladders to the cockpit to test systems when she was pregnant. She also participated in joint friendly exercises with other countries and recalls the confidence her peers placed in her. 

Radhika is among the few women entrepreneurs in the defence and aerospace sector, leading their company to significant heights. She says she’s fortunate to work with officers whom she had worked with in the past, who knew she would deliver no matter what. 

Radhika has some important advice for women who want to start up in the defence sector. 

“Firstly, you should have a solid educational foundation. If you want to get a foot into the defence field, get into some internship programmes where you can watch the application part of the theory you have studied. Publish papers in journals and attend symposiums. 

“Most importantly, be assertive because you will be dealing with mission and safety critical technologies and should be able to answer any kind of questions. It’s also important to have a work-life balance.”

“The sky is not the limit, it is just the beginning,” she quickly adds.