Indian private sector takes centrestage at Eurosatory 2024

As Eurosatory 2024, one of the world’s largest terrestrial defence show, opened its doors in Paris, the Indian representation at the show was dominated by the private sector, with a range of products on display, from large, heavy-lift drones to rifles, missiles and a range of other weapon systems as well as protective gear.

From drones that have already proven themselves by having cumulatively flown over 1 million km to rifles, missles and a range of other products, involving both cutting edge technology as well as basic manufacturing of parts used in manufacturing defence systems. This was the range of Indian products on display as Eurosatory 2024, one of the largest and oldest terrestrial defence shows in the world, got underway in Paris on Monday.

Though traditionally, the Indian representation and the Indian Pavillion at the defence shows overseas, has been dominated by a clutch of public sector companies including the DRDO and Bharat Electronics Limited, at Eurosatory2024, it is the Indian private sector that has been a show stealer, with a wide variety of products and services on display at the show.

Amongst the notable private sector companies from India at the show is a recent entrant into the business, Raphe, that manufactures a range of advanced drones, including those that can be used attain at high altitudes of over 4500 m, with a relatively long range of over 20 km, despite carrying a payload of about 30 kg.

Alex Guion, a French engineer who graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States, is the Chief Operating Officer of Raphe. Guion says his company is already supplying drones to several customers in Indian and some of which have also been deployed in the tough terrain of the Himalayas. He says that the company has registered a very strong growth thanks to the innovative products that it makes.

“We manufacture the drones almost entirely in-house, starting from design to over 90 pc of the components. Our products have already proven themselves and are being used by various divisions of the Indian government,’’ Guion tells Media India Group.

He says that so strong has been the demand for Raphe’s products that the company has already expanded to over 400 employees at its factory in Noida, near Delhi.

“We are now looking to set up operations in other cities of India, to test our drones in variuos terrains and conditions. We are also looking to set up sales and representative offices in various countries around the world,’’ Guion adds.

Another private sector company from India that is present with an array of products, however, is an old-hand, Kanpur-based MKU, which has been manufacturing defence-related products since 1985.

Ambassador of India to France, Jawed Ahsraf, who visited the Indian Pavillion at Eurosatory, says that he finds the collection of technologies and companies to be impressive.

“I would say that the Indian Pavillion is truly impressive. Both the public sector and the private sector companies have displayed a very wide array of products and technologies and compared to Eurosatory 2022, I am already seeing a quantum jump ahead in the quality of the products and in the nature and the quality of technology of that in the companies have been able to achieve,’’ Ashraf tells Media India Group.

“This just shows that the policy promoted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi about indigenisation of the defence industry or defence industrialisation of India is already showing results. And what is equally impressive is that many of those companies from India that are displaying their products here are here because they already have a significant presence in the export market. So this is a great demonstration of both Indian capabilities and what we can do if we have the right policies and the right set of incentives. Those who are here are here with single objective, and that is to promote their exports,’’ Ashraf adds.

With three more days to go before Eurosatory concludes on June 21, the Indian companies present on site are hoping to maximise their reach and find new clientele, among the thousands of defence industry and government representatives visiting the show.