Funding to fast-track indigenous military drone deployment; Zebu targets global expansion with next $5M raise
Hyderabad – May 8, 2025: Zebu, a deep-tech defense startup specializing in counter-drone and unmanned systems, has raised $1 million in a pre-Series A round led by Bluehill VC. The capital will accelerate battlefield deployment of four mission-critical drones designed for the Indian armed forces, reinforcing India’s push for indigenous defense capabilities.
Founded in 2021 by Santosh Balajee Banisetty, a Ph.D. in Intelligent Systems and Robotics, Zebu has emerged as a key player in India’s NewSpace and defense-tech landscape. The company has developed four proprietary drone systems, including:
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IAF Net Drone: Anti-drone interceptor with six-cartridge net capture
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Indian Coast Guard Drone: Sea surface surveillance and rescue
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Swarm-enabled IAF Combat Drone: Offensive drone for coordinated attacks
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Army Tethered Surveillance Drone: Continuous aerial border monitoring
The company has filed seven patents, secured two trademarks, and recently set a Guinness World Record for the longest endurance flight in the sub-5kg drone category.
Sridhar Parthasarathi, General Partner at Bluehill VC, said, “Zebu is rightly positioned to capture the $11 billion counter-drone market with top-of-the-line offerings. Such technology must be built in India to secure our borders and empower our armed forces across land, air, and sea.”
With advanced testing underway, Zebu’s drones are nearing production readiness, including radar-integrated interceptor systems and AI-driven maritime rescue drones currently undergoing trials with the Indian Coast Guard.
Santosh Balajee, Founder and CEO, said, “The battlefield of the future is AI-led and unmanned — Zebu is making that future indigenously available. This is Aatmanirbhar Bharat in action: sovereign technology, affordable excellence. Our goal is to scale Zebu globally and contribute to the next generation of defense systems.”
Zebu has also built a fully indigenous Ground Control Station (GCS)—a unified command interface now being tested by the Indian Coast Guard—as well as ESCs and military-grade camera gimbals, eliminating foreign dependencies.
Alongside defense, Zebu is adapting its technologies for commercial markets in industrial inspection, logistics, and OEM partnerships in India, Southeast Asia, and the U.S. Its custom drone batteries have already secured commercial orders.
As it prepares for its next $5 million funding round, Zebu aims to expand globally, grow its leadership team with key hires including a Chief Business Officer, and become India’s most vertically integrated unmanned systems company.
