Head - Defence Growth & Strategic Partnerships

About the Role:

We are looking for a recently retired Lieutenant Colonel / Wing Commander (or equivalent) with a strong technical and operational background to lead engagement with the Indian defence ecosystem.

• A strategic leadership role responsible for driving business development, strategic partnerships, customer engagement and defence programmes.
• Works closely with the CEO and Board to identify new opportunities, build trusted relationships across the Armed Forces and government organisations, and capture operational requirements from users.
• Translates captured requirements into commercially successful technology products.
• Requires travel across India to engage with military establishments, DRDO laboratories, Defence PSUs, government organisations and strategic partners.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead business development across the Army, Navy, Air Force, DRDO, Defence PSUs, Ministry of Defence and other government organisations.
• Build long-term strategic relationships with senior military leadership, procurement agencies, user directorates, programme offices and key decision-makers.
• Identify operational challenges and emerging capability gaps that can be translated into technology solutions and commercial opportunities.
• Gather operational requirements and customer feedback to continuously enhance products and product roadmap.
• Serve as the first level of technical engagement with customers by understanding, articulating, presenting and demonstrating technology solutions.
• Support product demonstrations, technical presentations, Proofs of Concept (PoCs), user interactions and field evaluations.
• Lead participation in defence procurement programmes, RFPs, tenders, technical documentation, proposal submissions and commercial engagements.
• Coordinate and drive user trials with relevant stakeholders through to successful induction.
• Develop strategic partnerships with DRDO laboratories, Defence PSUs, academic institutions, defence startups, system integrators and industry partners.
• Identify and pursue collaborative research programmes, innovation initiatives, government-funded projects and defence technology grants.
• Work closely with engineering and product teams to ensure customer requirements are translated into product enhancements.
• Monitor upcoming procurement opportunities, defence modernisation programmes, technology trends and competitive developments.
• Represent the company at defence conferences, seminars, industry forums and strategic engagements across the country.

Desired Profile:

• Recently retired Lieutenant Colonel / Wing Commander (or equivalent).
• Technical arm / background or significant experience in defence technology, engineering, systems or capability development.
• Strong understanding of defence procurement, acquisition and project execution processes.
• Experience working with DRDO, Defence PSUs, defence technology programmes, system integration or capability development projects will be an advantage.
• Ability to understand complex technology products and confidently present them to defence users, technical teams and senior leadership.
• Strong network across the Armed Forces, DRDO, Defence PSUs and the broader defence ecosystem.
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication and programme execution skills.
• Commercial mindset with the ability to identify opportunities, build strategic partnerships and convert engagements into business.
• Entrepreneurial attitude with the ability to work in a fast-paced technology company.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

• Strategic relationships established across the Armed Forces, DRDO, Defence PSUs and Government organisations.
• Qualified business opportunities identified and converted into active engagements.
• Product demonstrations, Proofs of Concept (PoCs), field trials and evaluations successfully initiated.
• Participation and success in defence RFPs, procurement programmes and strategic projects.
• Supply orders, contracts and revenue generated through defence engagements.
• Successful implementation and customer adoption of awarded projects.
• Customer requirements translated into measurable product improvements.
• Strategic partnerships established with DRDO, Defence PSUs, academia, system integrators and industry partners.
• Research collaborations, innovation programmes and government-funded projects secured.
• Contribution towards positioning the company as a trusted sovereign technology partner for the Indian defence ecosystem.