Rs 100 Crore Deal: India Bets on Startup's Counter-Drone Tech

Armory, a Gurugram-based startup founded in 2024, is developing advanced counter-drone systems to address the growing threat posed by affordable quadcopters in modern warfare. Their indigenous system, named SURGE, integrates radio-frequency detection, AI-driven tracking, and physical neutralization capabilities.

The core of SURGE is the Samaritan OS, a proprietary defense operating system designed to learn and adapt by continuously updating its threat library. This adaptive approach contrasts with imported systems that often rely on static threat databases.

Armory's speed in developing SURGE is notable, with the system progressing from a paper prototype to field trials with Army regiments within six months. This rapid development cycle is significantly faster than typical defense procurement timelines.

In May 2026, Armory announced it had secured contracts totaling Rs 100 crore from India's Ministry of Defence for the SURGE system. The company has raised approximately Rs 35 crore in equity since its inception, with plans for another funding round later in 2026 to support its expanding hardware portfolio and future growth.

Armory's next technical objective is to evolve from detecting and disabling drones to physically destroying them. The company also aims to foster international defense partnerships under a 'make-in-India, made-for-the-world' strategy.