A Hyderabad-based defence technology startup, Apollyon Dynamics, has developed an electric multirotor interceptor drone capable of reaching a certified top speed of 498 km/h, setting a new milestone for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) engineering in India.
Incubated at BITS Pilani Hyderabad, the startup announced the feat after the aircraft was officially recognized by the India Book of Records.
The new benchmark represents a substantial leap from the previous recorded top speed of approximately 325 km/h for multirotor systems in the country, surging past earlier limits by a significant margin.
Engineering for Interception
Unlike conventional multirotor drones, which are typically engineered for flight stability, hovering capabilities, and payload transport, the Ahuti Mk II was conceptualized from the ground up to function as a high-speed interceptor.Co-founder Jayant Khatri explained that the design shift was heavily influenced by evolving modern warfare dynamics, particularly the strategic challenges posed by low-cost, mass-deployed loitering munitions such as Shahed-class drones.
To achieve this performance, the platform underwent a rigorous overhaul from its predecessor—the original Ahuti, which clocked around 300 km/h in 2025.
Over roughly ten distinct iterations, the engineering team completely reworked the drone’s frame, motor configuration, and propulsion architecture.
Mechanically, the interceptor extracts extreme performance by drawing a massive burst current of 400 amperes during high-speed maneuvers.
Field Trials and Strategic Roadmap
Apollyon Dynamics has conducted extensive testing of its unmanned systems at major military operational and firing ranges, including Babina and Gopalpur, with backing and cooperation from the Indian Army.The startup has previously supplied tactical kamikaze systems to frontline military units.
Moving forward, the company intends to focus heavily on cost-effective lethality, utilizing an internal metric known as "strike envelope per rupee" to maximize tactical capability relative to manufacturing and deployment expenses.
In addition to its counter-drone portfolio, the startup's long-term technological roadmap includes ambitions to develop a larger power cruise missile platform by the end of the decade.
Professor M Rama Manohara Babu, a former programme director for India's Agni missile programme, serves on the company's advisory board.
