When satellite signals disappear and electronic warfare makes conventional navigation unreliable, an unmanned aerial vehicle needs more than a flight controller to stay on course. Hyderabad-based deep-tech startup PhoQtek Labs is working on that challenge by developing indigenous navigation and autonomy systems that can be integrated into existing drone platforms.
The company recently demonstrated its technology at the Indian Air Force’s Dronathon 2026 in Pokhran, where it operated a UAV in a GPS-denied environment and successfully completed a mission. Rather than building another drone from scratch, PhoQtek is focusing on the technology that allows existing platforms to navigate and make decisions when external positioning signals are unavailable.
The brain behind this technology, Gautham Nekkanti, who had no engineering degree or any conventional roadmap, has had an obsession with learning, building and solving problems that matter. The CEO speaks to CE about the need for indigenous precision navigation, retrofitting existing military drones, the challenges of building deep-tech solutions for defence and what lies ahead for the company.
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What first drew you to photonics and precision engineering?
When we started the company, our idea was to understand the requirements of the military and, especially, the defence forces in a wartime scenario. We realised that precision navigation is something that is required but is very dependent on external sources, and it is largely imported in India. We felt there should be a reliable, indigenous source of navigation.
That led us to two specific verticals. One is our photonics-based fibre-optic gyroscope, which is focused towards land- and navy-based applications. The other is our indigenous GarudaNav system, which is more focused on GPS-denied navigation for aerial platforms such as drones and aircraft.
What was the gap you identified that led to the founding of PhoQtek Labs?
The main gap we identified was that gyroscopes are mainly imported into India, especially the really advanced ones used in various Navy and Air Force platforms, including precision attack and precision-guided vehicles and submarines.
During our research, we understood that many of these components are imported from countries in the West. We therefore felt there was a need for an indigenous answer to these solutions. As India moves towards Atmanirbhar Bharat, we felt that we should also be a part of that effort.
Deep-tech innovation often happens behind the scenes. What is something about your work that you wish people understood better?
In reality, we would like to be as secretive about our work as possible for two main reasons — to protect ourselves and to help the country by being innovative in how we provide our solutions to the military.
But something we would like the public to know is that we are not another deep-tech company simply focused on making drones. We are beyond making drones. We are providing the navigation systems that drones can utilise in both peacetime and wartime scenarios.
Tell us about the products you are developing.
We are making an indigenous, retrofittable module that can be integrated into existing platforms. The military already has a lot of drones and other platforms in use. With one of our specific products, GarudaNav, our idea is to provide a navigation module to drones that have already been procured by the military.
This means they can be used in wartime scenarios when jammers and electronic warfare systems are active.
Our other product, the fibre-optic gyroscope, is primarily an indigenous answer to a market that is currently dominated by Western players.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while developing these products and engaging with the defence and aerospace ecosystem?
The first challenge was understanding where to provide a solution. A lot of companies are working on GPS navigation and navigation systems today, so we wanted to develop a very niche solution.
Our focus was on direct deployment. The military, defence forces or end user should not have to change their entire software stack or go through a lengthy integration phase. We wanted to be able to provide a solution much faster.
The second challenge was understanding the end user’s application. Some users operate drones at very high altitudes, while others operate them over extremely long ranges. Providing a solution that works in both cases, understanding how it benefits the end user and using that understanding to develop a better product was a major challenge.
How does your system approach navigation in a GPS-denied environment?
Without going into too much detail, like any navigation system, we have cameras onboard as well as other sensors that aid navigation, including gyroscopes and inertial sensors.
We have a proprietary algorithm that allows us to not just navigate in a GPS-denied environment, but also carry out full autonomous operations. In a GPS-denied scenario where electronic warfare is present, the operator cannot necessarily control the drone in real time. The drone therefore needs to make decisions about how to execute its mission.
Using artificial intelligence, we analyse the current plan of the drone and how it can execute its mission effectively. All of this is enabled by edge computing and cameras that we have specifically chosen for this purpose.
What are some of the high-value strategic applications you are targeting?
We are targeting high-altitude target detection for some military units as well as GPS-denied, long-range navigation.
Our speciality is not short-range navigation. Our whole focus is on providing long-range solutions, from above 20 kilometres to 100 kilometres of navigation capability. Our baseline altitude is about 250 metres to one kilometre.
The applications can cover a broad range, including surveillance as well as kamikaze drones.
You recently demonstrated your technology at Dronathon 2026. What was the objective of that demonstration, and what did you achieve?
We went to Dronathon with one purpose — to showcase the operation of a drone under GPS-denied conditions.
We conducted a short mission, within what was permitted to us by the Air Force, under GPS-denied conditions. We were the only company to perform a test in a GPS-denied environment during the three-day event.
What does the roadmap ahead look like for PhoQtek Labs?
We are working towards providing solutions for both daytime and nighttime operations. We will also be supporting missions across different terrains and ranges based on the military’s requirements.
That includes desert terrain, mountain terrain and operations over the sea. We are looking to expand the company around that idea and build solutions that can support these varied operational environments.