In India’s rapidly growing deep-tech and defence startup ecosystem, Vivek Mishra represents a new generation of entrepreneurs who chose engineering and research over conventional startup formulas.
As the co-founder and CEO of Raphe mPhibr, Mishra is helping build an Indian aerospace company focused on unmanned aerial vehicles, advanced manufacturing, robotics, electronics, propulsion and autonomous systems. Founded with his brother Vikash Mishra and co-founder Nitin Katiyar, Raphe mPhibr has grown from a small research operation into one of India’s most closely watched defence-tech startups.
But the company’s story did not begin with venture capital, a large factory or a billion-dollar valuation.
It began with two brothers, a university break and a drone assembled from available parts.
From Research to Entrepreneurship
Vivek Mishra’s background is rooted in engineering and research.
While pursuing his doctoral studies in the United States, he developed expertise in areas including robotics, electrical engineering, control systems and software. His brother Vikash pursued aerospace and mechanical engineering, creating a combination of skills that would later become central to Raphe’s technology.
The brothers were studying in the United States when they began experimenting with unmanned aerial vehicles.
Their original motivation was not to build a billion-dollar company.
They simply wanted to build technology.
During a university break, the brothers worked with available components and developed a drone prototype. They documented their work and shared the results with people in India.
The response changed the direction of their careers.
Their work attracted the attention of Indian government agencies interested in indigenous drone capabilities. The brothers eventually returned to India and formally incorporated Raphe mPhibr in 2017.
What began as an experiment became a mission.
Why Build Drones in India?
When Raphe mPhibr started, India’s indigenous defence-drone ecosystem was still developing.
The Mishra brothers saw an opportunity.
Instead of simply importing existing technology or assembling systems designed elsewhere, they wanted to develop the underlying technology themselves.
That meant working on difficult problems involving aerodynamics, electronics, flight controls, propulsion, composites, software and manufacturing.
It was an unusually ambitious approach.
The company describes its philosophy as building systems from scratch and maintaining end-to-end control over performance and efficiency.
For Vivek, the challenge was not merely creating a drone that could fly.
It was creating a system capable of performing reliably in demanding operational environments.
Listening to the User First
One of the most distinctive aspects of Vivek Mishra’s approach is his emphasis on understanding the end user’s problem before designing the product.
Rather than building a drone and then searching for customers, Raphe spent its early years studying the requirements of India’s defence forces.
The company examined operational conditions, terrain, weather, logistics requirements and mission objectives.
That research-first approach shaped the products Raphe eventually developed.
Vivek has explained that the company spent its first three to four years understanding the operational needs of defence forces before expanding into different categories of unmanned aircraft.
This was a slower route than the traditional startup model.
But it created a powerful advantage: the company was developing technology around real-world requirements.
Building Instead of Buying
Raphe’s philosophy goes beyond designing airframes.
The company has developed capabilities across multiple parts of the UAV technology stack, including avionics, propulsion, structures, electronics and software. Moneycontrol reported that Raphe has pursued vertical integration across these systems, including development of its own internal-combustion engine for long-endurance UAV applications.
That strategy is difficult.
It requires engineers with expertise in multiple disciplines and substantial investment in research and manufacturing.
But it also gives the company greater control over its technology.
For Vivek Mishra, this is central to the idea of genuine Make in India.
In an interview with Open Magazine, he described the company’s approach as building from scratch according to customer requirements rather than relying on technology transfer.
From a Small Research Facility to a Major Manufacturing Operation
Raphe’s growth has been remarkable.
The company began in 2017 with a research facility of around 2,000 square feet. It later expanded into a combined research and manufacturing facility of around 100,000 square feet, before scaling further to approximately 650,000 square feet following its major funding round in 2025.
The change represents more than physical expansion.
It reflects the transformation of Raphe from an experimental research company into a serious aerospace manufacturing organization.
Today, its technology portfolio includes surveillance drones, logistics UAVs, maritime systems, man-portable platforms and drone-swarm technology.
The $100 Million Breakthrough
For years, Raphe mPhibr operated relatively quietly.
While India’s consumer-tech ecosystem attracted enormous attention, the company concentrated on research, engineering and defence applications.
That changed dramatically in June 2025, when Raphe raised $100 million in a funding round led by General Catalyst, with participation from existing investor Think Investments and others.
The round brought the company’s total capital raised to approximately $145 million and valued the company at close to $900 million, according to Inc42.
The funding became one of the largest private investments in India’s drone sector.
But for Vivek Mishra, the capital was not simply a validation of the past.
It was fuel for the next phase.
The company planned to significantly expand manufacturing capacity and continue investing in indigenous aerospace technologies.
When Defence Technology Met the Real World
Raphe’s profile grew further as its UAVs became associated with India’s evolving defence requirements.
The company’s drones have been used by Indian government and security agencies, including the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force and armed police forces.
The company’s systems were also reported to have been deployed during Operation Sindoor in May 2025, bringing additional public attention to its technology.
For a company that spent years working largely away from the public spotlight, this represented a major turning point.
Raphe was no longer simply a promising aerospace startup.
It had become part of India’s broader effort to develop indigenous defence capabilities.
Engineering Before Hype
Perhaps the most interesting part of Vivek Mishra’s story is what he did not do.
He did not begin with a consumer application designed to achieve millions of downloads.
He did not build a business around rapid user acquisition.
He did not spend the company’s earliest years chasing publicity.
Instead, Raphe focused on engineering.
That meant research.
Testing.
Manufacturing.
Iteration.
Failure.
Improvement.
And then repeating the process.
The company’s journey demonstrates that deep-tech entrepreneurship often follows a very different timeline from consumer technology.
A sophisticated aerospace product cannot simply be launched overnight.
It has to work.
Building India’s Deep-Tech Future
Vivek Mishra’s larger significance lies in what Raphe represents for India’s technology ecosystem.
India has historically been known globally for software services and information technology.
Companies like Raphe are expanding that identity into advanced manufacturing, aerospace, robotics and defence technology.
The opportunity is enormous.
Modern warfare and security increasingly depend on autonomous systems, drones, sensors, artificial intelligence and real-time data.
Countries that can design and manufacture these technologies domestically gain strategic advantages.
Raphe is attempting to position itself within that transformation.
Lessons From Vivek Mishra’s Entrepreneurial Journey
1. Start With the Problem
Raphe’s products emerged from understanding the needs of defence forces rather than simply creating technology and looking for an application.
2. Deep Tech Takes Patience
Building aerospace systems requires years of research and testing.
The founders were willing to invest that time.
3. Own the Technology
Raphe’s emphasis on developing systems internally demonstrates the strategic value of controlling critical technologies.
4. Research Can Become a Business
The Mishra brothers began as researchers.
Their technical experiments eventually became the foundation of a major company.
5. Build for the Long Term
Raphe’s story shows that some of the most valuable companies are built quietly before the world notices them.
Conclusion
The story of Vivek Mishra is ultimately a story about choosing to build difficult things.
Alongside his brother Vikash Mishra and co-founder Nitin Katiyar, he helped transform an experimental drone project into Raphe mPhibr, an Indian aerospace and defence technology company developing indigenous unmanned systems.
From a small research facility in Noida to a large-scale manufacturing operation and a nearly $900 million valuation, Raphe’s journey reflects the growing ambition of India’s deep-tech ecosystem.
But perhaps the most important part of Vivek Mishra’s story is the philosophy behind the company.
Don’t simply assemble technology. Understand it. Don’t build for hype. Build for the user. And don’t assume world-class innovation has to come from somewhere else.
That philosophy could make Vivek Mishra and Raphe mPhibr important names in the next chapter of India’s aerospace and defence story.
