DG Propulsion builds the small jet engines that India has always had to import

DG Propulsion, a company founded in 2019 by Prateek Dhawan and Chirag Gupta, specializes in manufacturing small jet engines for India's unmanned aerial vehicles and defense applications. Based in Delhi, the company focuses on the aerospace propulsion and gas turbine engine sectors. Their product line includes the J20, J40, and J60 turbojets, which generate 20, 40, and 60 kilogram-force of thrust, respectively. These engines are designed for compactness, making them suitable for high-speed unmanned aircraft.

Dhawan previously worked at John Deere, where he tested his first aero engine in 2018. Meeting Gupta, a former Indian Navy officer, led to the formation of DG Propulsion. The company's initial goal was to produce 20-kilogram-force engines, which they achieved. Subsequent developments include the 40-kilogram-force J40 and the 60-kilogram-force J60 turbojets, all of which are developed and tested in-house.

The company's engines have undergone rigorous testing, including a one-hour continuous run for the J40, which is crucial for determining the prototype's viability for actual mission flights. In late 2024, DG Propulsion test-ran an even larger engine with 100 kilograms, or one kilonewton, of thrust. However, the challenge lies in achieving a higher percentage of Indian content in the engines.

Currently, the J40 runs at 30 to 35% Indian content, with the company aiming to increase this proportion to 90% with support from a Ministry of Defence grant.

In addition to turbojets, DG Propulsion is also developing turbofan engines, which offer improved efficiency for faster transport and larger platforms. The company has recently announced plans for a 10-kilonewton engine, representing an order of magnitude beyond their current testing capabilities. A significant validation came on 11 August 2026, when Kawa UAV, trading as HoverIt, successfully flew its Divyastra Mk3 loitering munition for the first time, powered by a DG Propulsion turbojet.

This marked the first instance of an Indian jet-powered loitering munition being flown on an Indian engine.