DheyaTech Raises Fresh Capital as India Targets Greater Self-Reliance in Gas-Turbine Technology.
DheyaTech Secures Rs 43 Crore to Scale Small Gas-Turbine Engines for Aerospace and Energy.
Bengaluru-based deep-tech startup DheyaTech has raised Rs 43 crore in a pre-Series A funding round as it prepares to take its indigenous small gas-turbine engine technology from development towards production. The company is targeting applications across aerospace, unmanned systems, distributed power generation and emerging hydrogen-based energy technologies, in a sector where India has traditionally relied significantly on imported propulsion systems.
The funding round was led by Avaana Capital, with participation from aerospace manufacturing company Unimech Aerospace and Manufacturing. DheyaTech said the new capital will be used to increase manufacturing capacity, establish a fully integrated engine-testing facility and deepen engagement with customers in India and overseas.
The company has set its sights on flight trials in the fourth quarter of 2026 and says it has already received confirmed orders from Indian and international original equipment manufacturers.
For a young propulsion company, the next stage could prove more difficult than the initial technology development. Gas-turbine engines require precision manufacturing, extensive testing and certification before they can be trusted in demanding aerospace applications.
Why small gas-turbine engines matter
Gas turbines are compact power systems that convert fuel into mechanical or electrical power through a continuous combustion process.
In aviation, they can provide propulsion for aircraft or power other systems. Smaller turbine engines are also increasingly relevant to unmanned aerial vehicles, distributed power systems and other specialised applications where compact, high-power systems are required.
DheyaTech is developing a family of small gas-turbine engines covering thrust levels from 20 kilogram-force to 400 kilogram-force.
The range is intended to allow the company to address multiple applications rather than develop a single engine for one platform.
For India, building this capability domestically has a strategic dimension. Propulsion is one of the most technically demanding areas of aerospace engineering, and access to reliable indigenous engines can influence how quickly companies can develop and manufacture new aircraft and unmanned platforms.
Reducing dependence on imported propulsion technology can also give manufacturers greater control over supply chains, maintenance and future modifications.
From technology development to production
DheyaTech was founded in 2018 by aerospace engineers Gurushankara K C, Abhinav Alva and Chetan Kumar.
The company’s immediate goal is to cross an important divide: moving from engineering and prototype development into repeatable production.
That transition requires much more than demonstrating that an engine can run.
A production engine has to be manufactured consistently, with critical components meeting extremely tight tolerances. It must also undergo extensive testing to demonstrate performance and reliability under different operating conditions.
DheyaTech said the latest funding will help it increase manufacturing capacity and establish a fully integrated engine-testing facility.
Chief executive and co-founder Gurushankara K C described the funding as an important step towards production readiness, saying the company plans to use the capital to expand manufacturing, strengthen testing and work with customers to move its propulsion technology into real-world applications.
The planned flight trials in the final quarter of 2026 will be an important milestone in that process.
The engineering challenge behind a small turbine
Small gas turbines may be physically compact, but their engineering requirements are complex.
Developing them requires expertise in areas including turbomachinery, combustion, high-temperature materials, precision engineering, electronic controls and system validation.
The turbine components must operate at high temperatures and rotational speeds, while the engine’s control system must respond accurately to changing operating conditions.
This combination makes propulsion particularly challenging for companies trying to establish indigenous capabilities.
DheyaTech is pursuing what it describes as a full-stack engineering model, covering design, development, manufacturing and testing.
The company has also developed its own adaptive engine control unit, or ECU. The ECU provides control functionality for its gas-turbine systems and gives the company greater control over a key part of the engine architecture.
Hydrogen adds another dimension
DheyaTech’s ambitions extend beyond conventional aviation fuels.
The company is also developing fuel-flexible and hydrogen-based technologies. In collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru, it has developed a hydrogen-based flexi-fuel combustor for a 60-kilowatt flexi-fuel turbogenerator.
Hydrogen combustion presents its own engineering challenges, including managing combustion characteristics and maintaining stable operation across different fuel conditions.
The company is also developing a hydrogen blower that has received ATEX safety certification. ATEX is a recognised European safety framework covering equipment intended for use in potentially explosive environments.
These developments indicate that DheyaTech is positioning its turbine technology for applications beyond aircraft propulsion, including energy systems where alternative fuels could become increasingly important.
Certification will be a critical test
For aerospace applications, technical capability alone is not enough. Engines intended for mission-critical aircraft must pass formal airworthiness processes.
DheyaTech is pursuing independent airworthiness certification under the guidance of the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification, or CEMILAC, is likely to be one of the most important milestones in determining how far the company’s aerospace ambitions can progress which operates under the Defence Research and Development Organisation.
The company says it is the first Indian private company to pursue such certification independently for its gas-turbine engines under the CEMILAC-DRDO framework.
Certification is likely to be one of the most important milestones in determining how far the company’s aerospace ambitions can progress.
The process is intended to establish that the engine meets the necessary requirements for safety, reliability and performance before it can be used in demanding operational environments.
For a propulsion startup, successful certification can therefore be as important as the underlying engineering itself.
Building a domestic manufacturing ecosystem
Unimech Aerospace and Manufacturing is supporting DheyaTech as a strategic manufacturing partner.
Its role includes precision manufacturing of turbine components and systems, an area where small deviations in dimensions or material quality can affect engine performance.
The partnership illustrates another challenge facing India’s aerospace ambitions: developing not only engine designs, but also a manufacturing ecosystem capable of producing complex components repeatedly and reliably.
If companies such as DheyaTech can establish that capability, the benefits could extend beyond a single engine programme.
A growing Indian propulsion sector
DheyaTech’s funding comes as investor and industry interest grows around Indian aerospace and defence deep-tech.
Other companies, including Nabhdrishti Aerospace, LAT Aerospace and Paninian, are also working on propulsion or gas-turbine technologies aimed at aviation, unmanned systems and defence applications.
The emergence of several companies in the sector could gradually broaden India’s domestic technology base.
However, the industry remains technically demanding, and investment alone does not guarantee successful commercialisation.
For DheyaTech, the immediate priorities are clear: increase production capacity, complete testing, progress through airworthiness certification and conduct successful flight trials.
The test now is execution
The Rs 43 crore investment gives DheyaTech additional resources to pursue its next phase, but the more difficult part of the journey is now beginning.
Moving from prototypes to dependable serial production requires manufacturing discipline, engineering validation and sustained customer confidence. Aerospace certification adds another layer of testing and scrutiny.
If DheyaTech succeeds in clearing those hurdles, its impact could extend beyond becoming another Indian aerospace startup.
The company could help establish a domestic source of small gas-turbine propulsion for aircraft and unmanned systems while also developing technologies for distributed power and hydrogen applications.
For India’s broader effort to build self-reliance in advanced engineering, that distinction matters. The challenge is not simply to design a working engine, but to create an indigenous propulsion capability that can be manufactured reliably, certified for demanding applications and supported throughout its operational life.
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