Sahil Luthra's Vision for Indigenous Defence Manufacturing in India

India’s growing assertiveness on the global defence map is rooted in more than policy—it’s driven by visionary individuals translating ambition into ground-level capacity. Among them is Sahil Luthra, the founder of Vijayan Trishul Defence Solutions, whose approach to Indigenous Defence Manufacturing in India blends legacy, strategic foresight, and future-readiness.

In an industry traditionally dominated by public-sector undertakings and foreign suppliers, Sahil’s model is building something rare: a truly sovereign, scalable, and export-ready defence enterprise.

Rethinking the Defence Manufacturing Blueprint

The standard path to defence manufacturing in India has typically relied on licensed production, long procurement cycles, and limited domestic design authority. Sahil Luthra challenged this template.

His roadmap began with two foundational principles:

1. IP-first thinking – ensuring India owns the tech it deploys.

2. R&D at the core – investing early in ballistics labs, metallurgy simulation, and modular prototyping.
   

By aligning R&D with operational realities, Sahil ensures VTDS produces not just equipment, but solutions.

VTDS: A Vehicle for Indigenous Capability

VTDS (Vijayan Trishul Defence Solutions) was founded in 2024 with one mission: to develop defence products that are designed, engineered, and manufactured in India for Indian and allied forces.

The company focuses on:

• Small arms for infantry, paramilitary, and rapid deployment forces

• Smart ammunition with dual-standard capabilities (NATO + Russian)

• Tactical gear and training kits designed with Indian terrains in mind
  

Every product rollout follows an iterative prototyping and field-testing model—underlining Sahil’s belief that relevance, not speed, defines success in military-grade production.

The Role of the Jhansi Facility in Indigenous Defence Manufacturing in India

The Jhansi node of the UP Defence Corridor became the physical anchor of Sahil’s vision. Spread across 20 hectares, the facility represents:

• India’s first dual-standard ammunition-ready private plant

• A modular assembly system enabling upgrades without complete shutdowns

• Proximity to MSME clusters and policy support hubs for faster supply chain movement
  

Sahil’s decision to build here wasn’t just about geography—it was about creating a defence zone rooted in policy access, local workforce upliftment, and strategic signalling.

Policy Synergy and Atmanirbhar Bharat

Sahil’s leadership model thrives on policy alignment. From the very beginning, VTDS integrated policy compliance teams to work alongside engineering and product teams.

This includes:

• Regular engagement with MoD and defence corridor regulators

• IP governance aligned to Atmanirbhar Bharat’s design mandates

• Collaboration with DRDO on test protocols and certifications
  

Instead of treating policy as a bottleneck, Sahil made it a blueprint. That’s what differentiates VTDS from fast-following OEM assemblers.

Export Readiness and Global Positioning

Sahil Luthra’s vision is not limited to Indian borders. From day one, VTDS systems were designed with export compliance in mind—this includes:

• NATO-compatible documentation and manufacturing logs

• Global-standard QC frameworks

• Early-stage licensing roadmap discussions with Southeast Asian and African countries
  

As geopolitical interest in Indian-made defence gear rises, VTDS is well-positioned to respond with scalable, certified platforms.

Sahil’s Leadership Ethos: Precision with Purpose

What makes Sahil Luthra different isn’t just what he builds—it’s how he leads:

• He runs VTDS like a military unit: structured, accountable, and resilient

• His focus on feedback-driven innovation ensures every product evolves based on field use, not just engineering theory

• He encourages a culture of “strategic patience”—developing long-term capability over short-term margins
  

This ethos is what allows VTDS to operate at the intersection of commercial viability and national service.

A Vision That Moves Beyond Equipment

For Sahil, indigenous defence manufacturing is a mission—not a market. His longer-term goals include:

• Establishing Centres of Excellence in defence tech education and design

• Building a digital R&D interface for prototyping collaboration across India

• Launching a skills initiative to train 1,000+ youth in defence production by 2027
  

This holistic view transforms manufacturing into nation-building—one that doesn’t stop at output but invests in talent, IP, and institutional growth.

Conclusion: Leading India’s Defence Reboot

Sahil Luthra’s role in driving Indigenous Defence Manufacturing in India is a blend of entrepreneur, policy architect, and visionary. At VTDS, he’s doing more than building arms—he’s building trust, resilience, and strategic autonomy.

As India transitions from defence buyer to builder, leaders like Sahil are proving that the shift isn’t only possible—it’s already underway.