From Hostel Room to Army Arsenal: The Rise of Apollyon Dynamics

 

In a story that sounds like cinematic fiction but is thrillingly real, two 20-year-old students from BITS Pilani – Hyderabad campus are reshaping India’s defense capabilities one drone at a time.

Meet Jayant Khatri (Mechanical Engineering, Ajmer) and Sourya Choudhury (Electrical Engineering, Kolkata)—young visionaries whose love for robotics turned into a startup with a mission: reduce India’s dependency on imported drones. What began inside a humble hostel room has now drawn the attention of India's Army units across Jammu, Panagarh, Chandimandir, and Arunachal Pradesh.

Their company, Apollyon Dynamics, specializes in kamikaze drones—bomb-dropping, radar-proof UAVs that clock over 300 kmph, five times faster than standard commercial drones. These ultra-fast aerial warriors deliver 1kg payloads with pinpoint accuracy, all custom-built using off-the-shelf parts. And yes, they’re undetectable on radar.

What truly sets this story apart? Their journey started with cold messages on LinkedIn. No marketing, no influence—just pure grit. A colonel responded, demos were conducted, and the Army said yes.

Now backed by a six-member student team, Apollyon is scaling up with next-gen VTOL and fixed-wing platforms, even training military personnel in drone operation—many with no prior flight experience.

“In 3 Idiots, Joy Lobo’s dream died in silence. In real life, these two built war-ready drones in a hostel room. And the Army called back.” – Source: Times of India ()