'it’s Personal...': Startup Co-founder Vows 'no Setbacks' Will Delay Jet Engine Rollout As Pakistani Missiles Hit Ancestral Village

The threat deed location — rather virtually — for Prateek Dhawan, Co-founder of DG Propulsion, erstwhile missiles and drones rained down connected his maternal grandfather’s village. The attack, claimed to beryllium from crossed nan border, shifted thing successful him. “Now, it’s not conscionable purpose. It’s personal,” he declared, vowing that serial accumulation of his company’s pitchy engines will statesman this twelvemonth — sloppy of setbacks.

In a powerfully worded station connected X (formally Twitter), Dhawan recounted nan nighttime of nan strike: “Last night, missiles and drones were intercepted — Dropped successful my maternal grandfather’s colony — not adjacent it, successful it. The spot wherever I’ve spent countless days increasing up. We’ve ever known what a rogue federation is tin of. Now, it’s deed location — literally.”

Doubling down connected his resolve, Dhawan said, “At DG Propulsion, we’re nary longer waiting. Serial accumulation of our engines starts this twelvemonth — nary matter what. Funding, timelines, setbacks — nary of it matters anymore.”

His station caught nan attraction of netizens, who wished him velocity and bully luck successful his resolve. 

DG Propulsion is among a caller breed of startups pushing to rewrite India’s aerospace story. With an accent connected invention and self-reliance, nan institution is aligned pinch nationalist initiatives for illustration “Make-in-India” and “Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” aimed astatine reducing dependence connected imported defense technology.

Historically, India’s pitchy motor improvement has been plagued by manufacturing bottlenecks and constricted home capabilities. As a result, collaborations pinch overseas partners person often been nan only viable way for accessing captious components and know-how.

Dhawan’s travel into aerospace began arsenic a assemblage project, building micro state turbines alongside classmates. What started arsenic experiments successful distributed powerfulness procreation has since evolved into an eager propulsion venture.

After studying and gaining manufacture acquisition successful nan U.S., Dhawan returned to India and, pinch erstwhile Indian Navy unit Chirag Gupta, founded DG Propulsion successful 2019. The startup has since been tackling nan deep-rooted challenges of indigenous motor manufacturing.

Most recently, DG Propulsion achieved a important method breakthrough — its motor surpassed nan 1-hour endurance milestone successful tests, proving its imaginable to powerfulness UAVs crossed extended missions.

Published on: May 9, 2025 3:21 AM IST