DG Propulsion powers first Indian-made jet-powered loitering munition flight

What DG Propulsion builds

DG Propulsion develops small turbojet engines designed for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and defence applications. Its product lineup includes the DG J20, J40, and J60 engines, which produce 20, 40, and 60 kilogram-force of thrust, respectively. These engines are fully developed and tested in-house, according to the company.

The startup also reports progress on a larger engine, with a target thrust of 10 kilonewtons, which would represent a significant scaling-up of its existing technology. Additionally, DG Propulsion has built an engine control system called DG AEMS and has signaled plans to transition from turbojets to turbofans, which are more efficient for larger platforms.

The flight that validated the engine

The company achieved a public milestone on 11 August 2026 when its turbojet engine powered the maiden flight of Kawa UAV’s Divyastra Mk3 loitering munition. Both companies described the flight as the first instance of an Indian jet-powered loitering munition operating on an Indian-made engine.

The flight also marked the first public demonstration of a DG Propulsion engine integrated into a customer’s platform and successfully taken airborne. This validation extends beyond laboratory testing, as the engine performed under real-world conditions.

What this means

Lazyfounder analysis — our interpretation, not reported fact.

This milestone signals that India’s aerospace propulsion sector is beginning to deliver hardware that meets operational requirements, not just prototypes. For defence startups, it demonstrates that domestic suppliers can now compete in a niche long dominated by imports, reducing dependence on export-controlled components. For founders, DG Propulsion’s progress highlights the potential for deep-tech hardware startups to scale with institutional support, even in capital-intensive sectors like aerospace.