BITS Pilani Hyderabad campus UAV enters India Book of Records

Hyderabad-based Apollyon Dynamics has entered the India Book of Records after its Ahuti Mk II electric interceptor achieved a certified top speed of 498 km/h. The BITS Pilani-incubated startup plans to develop advanced unmanned defence technologies for India.

Hyderabad: Apollyon Dynamics, a defence technology startup incubated at BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, has entered the India Book of Records after its electric interceptor, Ahuti Mk II, achieved a certified top speed of 498 km/h. This feat earned the company national recognition for the Maximum Speed Achieved by a Multirotor UAV.

Founded by Jayant Khatri and Sourya Choudhary, the startup developed the record-setting aircraft through a team comprising Aman Virani, Manas Vichare, and Ishaan Suri.

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The Ahuti Mk II evolved directly from its predecessor, the original Ahuti, which clocked roughly 300 km/h in 2025. Rather than minor tweaks, the team completely rebuilt the platform from the ground up to serve as a high-speed interceptor tailored to counter hostile drones and loitering munitions.

The ground-up engineering resulted in a massive performance boost. In less than a year, the top speed surged from 300 km/h to a certified 498 km/h—marking a 66 per cent increase. The development was heavily influenced by modern aerial conflicts, specifically mirroring threats posed by inexpensive, mass-deployed loitering hardware like the Shahed class of drones.

“Speed isn’t a spec sheet number for us. It’s the difference between a threat neutralised and a threat that got through. 498 km/h means we win that race,” noted co-founders Jayant Khatri and Sourya Choudhary.

Having already fielded systems with the Indian Army, Apollyon Dynamics is looking further ahead. The startup has set its sights on developing a high-capacity power cruise missile platform by 2030, reinforcing its long-term vision for advanced, indigenous unmanned defence capabilities.