Kokasa Launches to Build Indigenous Mission-Critical Systems for Su-30MKI, MiG-29 and T-72

Indian deep-tech company Kokasa has entered the defence, aerospace and space technology sector with a focus on developing mission-critical electromechanical, electrohydraulic, sensing, instrumentation and embedded-control systems in India. The company was founded by Rahul Jain, Snehil Gautam and former Hindustan Aeronautics Limited executive Vikalp Bagdi, and is positioning itself around the indigenisation of critical subsystems that are still sourced from overseas suppliers.

Kokasa says it is already working on programmes connected with the Su-30MKI, MiG-29 and T-72, along with systems for other military and aerospace platforms. Rather than concentrating on complete weapons or aircraft, the company is targeting the less visible but strategically important components that allow engines, flight-control systems, turrets, missiles and launch vehicles to function reliably.

Kokasa Targets Critical Defence Subsystems

The company’s technology portfolio spans electromechanical actuators, electrohydraulic systems, sensors, switches, valves, servo drives, motion-control hardware and embedded control electronics. These systems form the mechanical and electronic interface between a platform’s command architecture and the physical movement required to execute that command.

In an aircraft, such components can control valves, flight surfaces, engine systems and other mechanisms. In armoured vehicles, they can drive turret traverse, gun elevation and stabilisation systems. Similar technologies are also required in missiles, unmanned systems and launch vehicles, where precise motion control must function under demanding operational conditions.

Kokasa’s strategy is to develop these components as an integrated domestic capability rather than depend on imported subassemblies for each individual platform. This approach can also allow common technologies to be adapted across multiple defence, aerospace and space programmes.

Su-30MKI Engine Indigenisation Is an Early Priority

One of the company’s early programmes is linked to the AL-31FP engine used by the Indian Air Force’s Su-30MKI fighter fleet. Kokasa says it is working on the indigenisation of a number of critical components associated with the engine ecosystem, including sensing, ignition and electrohydraulic hardware.

Among the systems under development are a vibration sensor and an ignition exciter. A vibration sensor monitors abnormal movement within high-speed rotating machinery and can provide data relevant to engine health and maintenance. An ignition exciter generates the high-voltage energy required to initiate combustion during turbine-engine starting and relight operations.

These may appear to be small components when compared with the aircraft itself, but their availability can directly influence fleet serviceability. Developing them locally can therefore contribute to longer-term maintenance independence for one of India’s most important combat aircraft fleets.

Electrohydraulic Systems Address a Key Area of Import Dependence

Kokasa is also developing electrohydraulic booster technology for aerospace and defence applications. These systems convert relatively small electronic commands into the hydraulic force required to operate larger mechanical loads.

Electrohydraulic technology is widely used wherever compact control inputs must move heavy or high-resistance mechanisms with speed and precision. In military aircraft and armoured vehicles, this can include engine controls, weapon systems and other high-load actuators.

The company has identified this area as one where Indian platforms continue to depend heavily on imported technology. Building a domestic engineering base for such systems can reduce supply-chain vulnerability while also providing greater control over repair, redesign and long-term support.

MiG-29 Systems Form Part of the Indigenisation Roadmap

Kokasa has also indicated that it is working on programmes connected with the MiG-29 fleet. These aircraft have been operated in India for decades, and maintaining older platforms increasingly depends on access to specialised components and reliable lifecycle support.

As aircraft age, original suppliers may reduce production of certain parts or shift resources towards newer platforms. This can create challenges even when the aircraft itself remains operationally useful.

Domestic replacement systems can therefore become increasingly important. If components are redesigned and qualified in India, operators can gain greater flexibility in maintenance and future upgrades while reducing dependence on overseas supply chains.

T-72 and T-90 Platforms Offer Another Indigenisation Opportunity

Kokasa’s land-systems portfolio includes technologies for armoured vehicles such as the T-72 and T-90. The company is working on actuation systems used for turret traverse, gun elevation, stabilisation and related functions.

These systems are essential to the combat effectiveness of a tank because they determine how accurately and quickly the weapon can be positioned. A modern stabilisation system must continue to maintain aim while the vehicle itself is moving across uneven terrain.

Kokasa is developing an integrated turret-stabilisation architecture that combines azimuth and elevation actuation with gyroscopic sensing, recoil-related systems and associated control components. The company sees potential for adapting such technology across existing armoured fleets and future Indian combat vehicle programmes.

Missile Fin-Control Systems Extend the Portfolio Into Guided Weapons

The company’s defence roadmap also includes missile fin-control modules. These systems move the aerodynamic control surfaces that allow a missile to alter its flight path and maintain the desired trajectory.

Fin-control hardware must respond quickly and precisely while surviving high acceleration, vibration and temperature extremes. Reliability requirements are therefore considerably more demanding than those faced by conventional industrial actuators.

By developing missile actuation alongside aircraft and armoured-vehicle systems, Kokasa is attempting to build a common technological base for several classes of military platform.

UAV and Aerospace Systems Create a Wider Market

Kokasa’s aerospace ambitions extend beyond legacy military platforms. The company is targeting primary and secondary flight-control actuators, landing-gear actuators, gimbal stabilisation modules and payload mechanisms for aircraft and unmanned systems.

It is also looking at H/MALE UAVs, tactical drones and VTOL platforms. As Indian unmanned-aircraft manufacturers move towards larger and more capable systems, domestic access to high-reliability actuation and control hardware can become increasingly important.

Flight-control actuators are particularly critical because they directly influence the movement of aerodynamic surfaces. A domestic supplier capable of designing these systems for different aircraft configurations can provide Indian UAV manufacturers with greater flexibility during platform development.

Space Systems Form the Third Major Technology Vertical

Kokasa is also developing technologies for launch vehicles and satellites. Its space-focused work includes launch-vehicle mechanisms, satellite pointing systems and actuators designed for demanding environments.

Space hardware must function reliably under vibration, vacuum and extreme thermal conditions. Some mechanisms may be required to operate only once during a mission, but failure at that moment can compromise the entire spacecraft.

The company’s move into this segment reflects the increasing overlap between defence, aerospace and space engineering. Many of the same skills in actuation, sensing, embedded control and high-reliability manufacturing can be applied across all three sectors.

Modular Architecture Allows Technology to Be Reused

Kokasa has organised its technology development around a layered architecture. At the component level, this includes sensors, switches, valves, motors and servo drives. These can then be combined into actuators, hydraulic power units, sensor packages and gimbal systems.

At a higher level, those subsystems can form complete motion-control architectures for flight controls, turret stabilisation, missile-fin actuation and other applications. The company is also working towards integrating condition monitoring and predictive-maintenance capabilities into these systems.

This modular approach can reduce the need to begin each programme from scratch. A motor, sensor or control module developed for one application can potentially be adapted to another after the required engineering and qualification work.

Physical AI Forms Part of the Long-Term Roadmap

Kokasa has also identified physical AI as part of its longer-term technology strategy. In this context, the term refers to adding embedded intelligence to mechanical and electromechanical systems so that they can monitor their condition and respond more intelligently to changes in performance.

For example, an actuator could use sensor data to detect abnormal vibration, rising temperature or increasing mechanical resistance. Such information could be used to identify deterioration before a complete failure occurs.

Predictive maintenance of this type can improve fleet availability because maintenance can be planned around the actual condition of equipment rather than relying only on fixed servicing intervals.

Reducing Import Dependence Is Central to the Business Model

The company’s core proposition is based on reducing India’s dependence on imported high-reliability subsystems. Kokasa estimates that import dependence remains substantial across several electromechanical and electrohydraulic categories used in defence and aerospace platforms.

This creates a strategic problem because even when a complete platform is manufactured or assembled in India, a small number of foreign-origin components can still limit domestic control over maintenance and production.

Local development of those subsystems can improve supply security, shorten repair cycles and give Indian manufacturers access to engineering data that may otherwise remain with the overseas supplier.

Former HAL Experience Adds Aerospace Engineering Depth

Vikalp Bagdi’s previous experience at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited brings direct aerospace manufacturing and programme exposure to the founding team. This is particularly relevant because mission-critical aerospace components must meet stringent reliability and qualification standards.

Such systems are expected to function under vibration, shock, temperature changes and other harsh operating conditions. The engineering process therefore involves far more than producing a working prototype.

Qualification, repeatable manufacturing, documentation and long-term lifecycle support are equally important. Kokasa says its development model is being built around these requirements from the beginning.

Kokasa Was Established in 2026

Kokasa Advanced Manufacturing was incorporated in 2026 and has moved rapidly into defence and aerospace development programmes. The company has indicated that some of its simpler sensor, switch and control products are moving towards production while more complex integrated systems remain under development.

The speed of this transition reflects the demand for Indian suppliers capable of working on mission-critical subsystems. Defence indigenisation increasingly requires companies that can operate deep within the supply chain rather than concentrating only on complete platforms.

Defence Indigenisation Goes Beyond Complete Aircraft and Tanks

India’s defence manufacturing strategy has traditionally focused attention on visible platforms such as fighters, tanks, missiles, artillery systems and warships. However, strategic dependence can remain hidden inside these systems through imported actuators, sensors, servo valves, ignition units and control electronics.

These components are often relatively small in physical size but essential to the operation of the complete platform. Without reliable access to them, maintenance and fleet availability can be affected even when the larger system is produced domestically.

Kokasa’s focus on this layer of the defence ecosystem therefore represents a deeper form of localisation. It aims to replace imported mission-critical hardware rather than merely increase the domestic content of external structures.

Indigenous Subsystems Can Strengthen Lifecycle Support

Domestic production also offers advantages throughout the operational life of a platform. Components can be repaired more quickly, redesigned for local requirements and supported without waiting for overseas manufacturers.

This becomes increasingly important for long-serving fleets such as the Su-30MKI, MiG-29 and T-72. These platforms are expected to remain operational for years, creating continued demand for replacement parts, upgrades and maintenance support.

If Indian companies can supply qualified alternatives, the armed forces can gain greater resilience while domestic industry develops expertise that can later be applied to new platforms.

Kokasa Adds a New Layer to India’s Defence Deep-Tech Ecosystem

India’s private defence sector has expanded rapidly across drones, missiles, radars, electronics and space systems. Kokasa is entering a less visible but equally important segment focused on the electromechanical and electrohydraulic technologies that physically operate these larger systems.

Its initial work on Su-30MKI engine components, MiG-29 systems and armoured-vehicle actuation gives the company a direct role in the indigenisation of platforms already serving with the Indian armed forces. At the same time, its work on UAVs, missile control systems, satellites and launch vehicles creates a pathway towards future programmes.

By developing actuators, sensors, motion-control systems and embedded electronics in India, Kokasa is targeting an area where technological dependence can persist even within otherwise indigenised platforms. Building domestic competence in these mission-critical subsystems can strengthen India’s defence manufacturing base while creating technologies that can serve aerospace and space programmes for decades.

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References

Kokasa — Official Website and Technology Portfolio.
https://kokasa.in/

Kokasa — Defence, Aerospace, Space and Industrial Sectors.
https://kokasa.in/sectors

Kokasa — Capabilities and Mission-Critical Subsystems.
https://kokasa.in/capabilities

The Economic Times — Epigamia Cofounder Launches Kokasa to Build Defence Tech Systems, September 30, 2026.
https://m.economictimes.com/tech/startups/epigamia-cofounder-launches-kokasa-to-build-defence-tech-systems/articleshow/134595538.cms

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