Aerospace startup Nabhdrishti Aerospace has secured $3 million in funding led by Accel, with participation by existing investors, including IIMA Ventures. The capital will be used to test three engine prototypes, carry out flight trials in collaboration with customer UAVs, and take concrete steps toward early revenue generation. The company also intends to strengthen its team by the end of the year, with planned hires across engineering, production, and customer support functions.

Founded in 2023 the startup focuses on propulsion with indigenous, fuel-flexible engines designed for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Hybrid Electric VTOLs, Urban Air Mobility, and distributed power generation applications.

“Our mission is to redefine the future of aerospace propulsion by building fuel-flexible, high-performance engines that are both sustainable and indigenously developed,” said Rohit Chouhan, Co-Founder and CEO of Nabhdrishti Aerospace. “India’s dependence on imported propulsion systems has long constrained our aerospace ambitions. At Nabhdrishti, we are shifting that paradigm—developing cutting-edge technologies designed to run on sustainable fuels, including green hydrogen, to power everything from UAVs to next-generation air mobility platforms. This investment is not just a milestone for us but a validation of our vision and a catalyst that will accelerate our journey from innovation to real-world impact.”

“Propulsion technology remains one of the most challenging and critical bottlenecks in aerospace innovation, particularly for emerging markets like India,” said Mahendran Balachandran, Partner at Accel. “Nabhdrishti’s approach bridges immediate commercial applications with long-term sustainability goals, potentially transforming multiple industries beyond aviation. What stands out is not just their technical expertise, but their vision of creating an entirely new ecosystem around indigenous, fuel-flexible solutions. The team’s ability to execute on technically complex challenges with global implications represents the kind of enterprise we seek to support from an early stage.”

Looking ahead, the company expects to scale its workforce steadily over the next few years to support its expanding product portfolio and growing customer base.

(With inputs from bl intern Nethra Sailesh)

Published on June 11, 2025