Hyderabad-based defense-tech startup backed by Bluehill VC to accelerate production and deployment of four unmanned systems for armed forces
Zebu Intelligent Systems, a rapidly emerging name in India’s defense innovation landscape, has secured $1 million in pre-Series A funding. The round was led by Bluehill VC, a Chennai-based venture capital firm focused on deep-tech investments. The funding will be used to fast-track the production and deployment of four indigenous unmanned aerial systems (UAVs) developed by the company for various divisions of the Indian armed forces.
Founded in Hyderabad in 2021 by Santosh Balajee Banisetty, a Ph.D. in Robotics and Intelligent Systems, Zebu has grown into a vertically integrated defense-tech company. It specializes in AI-enabled UAVs designed for both combat and surveillance applications. Its portfolio includes systems for the Indian Air Force, Indian Coast Guard, and Army border regiments. Each system is tailored to meet specific use-case scenarios and battlefield demands.
One of Zebu’s flagship developments is a net-capture drone designed to neutralize hostile UAVs mid-air using a six-cartridge mechanism. This system, currently undergoing radar integration tests, has been engineered to trap unauthorized drones without collateral damage. For coastal applications, Zebu has built a search and rescue UAV capable of withstanding high-wind and water immersion conditions, with built-in AI for return-to-base operations. The company’s third offering is a swarm-enabled combat drone developed for the air force, equipped to execute coordinated strikes. Finally, Zebu has designed a tethered aerial surveillance platform for the Army, capable of delivering live border intelligence in continuous operations.The company’s fully indigenous manufacturing model has allowed it to develop all key components, including electronic speed controllers, camera gimbals, custom battery packs, and a mission-grade ground control station (GCS). Its GCS platform has already been tested in live operations with the Coast Guard and is slated to replace foreign-imported command systems currently in use
Zebu’s work aligns directly with the Government of India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative. It has filed seven patents, secured two trademarks, and is actively scaling its IP portfolio with new subsystems and mission software. In 2024, the company was awarded a Guinness World Record for achieving the longest drone endurance in the under-5kg category.
The $1 million raised will support Zebu’s next set of field deployments and initiate production of its UAVs at scale. The startup is also preparing for a $5 million Series A round to expand internationally, with key export markets identified in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
Investor Sridhar Parthasarathi, General Partner at Bluehill VC, said the company represents a significant opportunity in a global counter-drone market projected to cross $11 billion by 2030. He added that India’s defense ecosystem benefits tremendously from such ground-up platforms built by domestic engineers and field-tested on Indian soil.
Zebu’s impact is not limited to defense. The company has already commercialized its battery packs and GCS systems for industrial drone inspections, unmanned logistics, and large-area mapping. Several Indian and US-based OEMs are currently piloting Zebu’s subsystems for civilian applications. Its dual-use strategy gives it a path to scale both within and beyond government contracts.
The founder, Santosh Balajee, emphasized that sovereign defense technology is no longer optional, but foundational. He said the goal is to ensure India’s defense modernization is driven by local innovation, reducing dependency on imports and strengthening national security. Zebu’s ongoing hiring of a Chief Business Officer and domain experts in procurement and systems integration further signals the company’s intention to scale across defense and enterprise sectors.
Zebu now stands among India’s most promising hardware-first defense startups, focused not only on product development but also on ecosystem building. Its technology roadmap, grounded in indigenization, is designed to deliver scalable solutions for both military operations and commercial drone markets. With this round of funding, Zebu enters a phase of operational maturity, ready to export India’s next-generation unmanned systems to global theaters.
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