Raphe mPhibr, India’s most innovative aircraft manufacturing company, announced that it has raised $100 million in a round led by General Catalyst, with participation from existing investors, including Amal Parikh, Think Investments, and other prominent high-net-worth family offices. This is the largest round of private funding raised by an Indian company in this industry to date and takes Raphe mPhibr’s total capital raised to $145 million.
“We are proud to join forces with Raphe mPhibr on their transformative journey to redefine engineering-led manufacturing across a spectrum of critical applications,” said Neeraj Arora, Managing Director at General Catalyst. “What sets this team apart is their unwavering, mission-driven ethos, coupled with an expansive vision and formidable technological depth. The products emerging from Raphe mPhibr are already making a tangible impact on the ground, signalling what we believe will be a monumental shift. Their work is not only accelerating India’s path to strategic self-reliance but also embodies the essence of our Global Resilience thesis at General Catalyst—building for a future that is secure, sovereign, and sustainable.”
“Raphe mPhibr is uniquely positioned to develop cutting-edge aircrafts and UAVs given their robust, end-to-end design, engineering, and manufacturing capabilities,” shared Shashin Shah, Managing Partner, Think Investments. “We are excited to deepen our partnership with the Raphe mPhibr team, and this investment underscores our conviction that it will emerge as one of the foremost aerospace companies in India.”
Built with Purpose
Founded nearly a decade ago, Raphe mPhibr grew alongside India’s national vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India. These policies laid the foundation for building essential technologies within the country, especially in defence, where the needs of security forces continue to evolve in a complex and fast-changing world. Raphe mPhibr was born to serve that mission: to design and build solutions in India for those who protect it.
Inspired by Nature
Raphe mPhibr’s engineering has always drawn from a timeless source nature. As Aryabhata wrote, nature operates through laws and patterns that reveal themselves through observation and analysis. That philosophy shapes how the company builds and organises itself. Raphe mPhibr is built around strong engineering and science departments, with dedicated teams in aerodynamics, materials science, structural mechanics, vibrations, thermodynamics, electromagnetics, and more. Not just to model the world, but to build systems that move with its logic, not against it.
Turning observations into working solutions demanded more than insight; it required capability. To deliver technology that India’s forces could rely on in mountains, deserts, oceans, and beyond, Raphe mPhibr had to create India’s most advanced, end-to-end aerospace manufacturing campus.
Building End-to-End
“India has single-handedly developed its technology […] without spying or stealing the knowledge from other countries.” — Dr. R. Chidambaram, in his Science Popularisation Lecture at the 2019 Goa Science Film Festival.
That belief in building with integrity and technical depth continues at Raphe mPhibr. The company didn’t set out to assemble parts, it set out to engineer solutions end-to-end. And to do so, Raphe mPhibr created a campus where design, simulation, manufacturing, and testing all work together, under one roof. As a result, the headquarters houses India’s most advanced metal processing, composite manufacturing, engine design and testing, and military-grade electronics facility.
Every manufacturing centre was designed with a single goal: to deliver systems our security forces can rely on. Many of these systems are already in the field
- mR10: The world’s first operational drone swarm.
- mR20: The world’s first high-altitude logistics platform for resupply in remote forward areas.
- Bharat: A lightweight man-carried drone for rapid surveillance in complex terrain.
- X8: A compact platform for maritime patrol and situational awareness at sea.
They help teams move faster, see further, and stay safer. Other products are in the making too, currently in the final stages of validation. And their echoes are now being heard far beyond India, in Paris, Dubai, and London, where Raphe mPhibr’s engineering is increasingly shaping the global discourse.
The company’s motto, “We innovate for a better society”, guides how the company works and the partners it chooses. Raphe mPhibr partners with national institutions, in line with the mission laid out by India’s Prime Minister: Make in India, innovate in India, and become truly Aatmanirbhar. It also works with international partners such as Dassault Systèmes, HENSOLDT, and Safran.
“Raphe mPhibr’s implementation of our 3DEXPERIENCE platform shows how virtual worlds help innovators achieve speed and sovereignty by accelerating the entire product lifecycle from concept to certification,” noted Olivier Sappin, CEO, CATIA, Dassault Systèmes (France).
“We’ve worked closely with Raphe mPhibr’s teams and seen first-hand their ability to deliver advanced mil-grade electronics and mechanical systems,” stated Oliver Dörre, CEO, HENSOLDT (Germany).
“Raphe mPhibr is a technological and industrial adventure the likes of which can only be found in India. We’re proud of the partnership we are building with this company which could become one of the world’s major players in the drone industry,” shared Alexandre Ziegler, Executive Vice President, Defense GBU, Safran Electronics & Defense (France) via LinkedIn.
People First
“A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself.”— Abraham Maslow, founder of humanistic psychology and one of the most influential psychologists of the 20th century.
All strong philosophies, whether scientific, strategic, or national, ultimately rest on people. And for people to do exceptional work, they must feel safe, supported, and fulfilled. That’s why Raphe mPhibr is committed to building not just technology, but culture. A culture that is psychologically safe, emotionally grounded, organically grown, and quietly rigorous. One that helps people become not just better engineers, but better versions of themselves. As the Raphe mPhibr team often says: “If we eat well, we innovate well.” It’s a simple truth that makes Drongans feel good and when people feel good, they build what others think is impossible.
Making It in India
“The world is looking at India with new eyes, and it’s time we matched our vision with capability.” — Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during an annual Independence Day address to the nation.
This funding is not just capital; it is a commitment. A commitment to build in India what the country cannot afford to depend on others for. To turn policy into product. To make Aatmanirbhar Bharat not just a campaign, but a living, flying ecosystem.
