On August 11, 2026, DG Propulsion's indigenous jet engine powered Kawa UAV's Divyastra Mk3 loitering munition on its maiden flight. This marks India's first fully indigenous jet-powered drone flight, breaking a decade-long reliance on imported small engines. Drone makers previously faced export license hurdles and long lead times for compact turbojets.
How We Got Here
Founders Prateek Dhawan and Chirag Gupta started DG Propulsion in 2019 to indigenously build small jet engines for drones. Dhawan had tested his first aero engine in 2018, while former Indian Navy officer Gupta brought defence sector experience.
The Numbers
- DG Propulsion produces DG J20, J40, and J60 turbojets, rated at 20, 40, and 60 kilogram-force thrust respectively.
- The J40 engine completed a one-hour continuous run, a critical endurance test for mission-ready micro turbojets.
- The J40 currently uses 30-35% Indian content, with a Ministry of Defence grant supporting a target of over 90%.
- The company also built an engine control system called DG AEMS and plans a 10 kilonewton engine announced in June 2026.
What Happens Next
🇮🇳 Why This Matters for India
For drone manufacturers in Pune and Bengaluru, this indigenous capability removes foreign export license bottlenecks and shortens supply chains for critical defence components.
The Take
What's truly impressive here isn't the engine alone, but the early signals of a nascent deep-tech manufacturing supply chain finally emerging in India. This capability gives Indian defence tech an immediate edge, removing a critical chokepoint and opening up new R&D avenues for private players in Hyderabad and Chennai.
Source:
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