Now Reading: Mumbai startup cracks missile cooling tech, breaks Western monopoly
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Mumbai startup cracks missile cooling tech, breaks Western monopoly
A Mumbai startup has indigenously developed a 10-gram cooling technology for missile seekers, breaking a Western monopoly held by the US, France and Israel. The Techno Defence Pvt Ltd’s ‘Joule-Thomson Cooler’ rapidly…
The Story in Brief
A Mumbai startup has indigenously developed a 10-gram cooling technology for missile seekers, breaking a Western monopoly held by the US, France and Israel. The Techno Defence Pvt Ltd’s ‘Joule-Thomson Cooler’ rapidly cools infrared sensors to -196°C, enabling missiles to track targets accurately. Co-owner Dr Pravin Salinkar, an IIT Bombay alumnus, received DRDO funding in 2020 and handed over the device for successful trials by 2023-24. The component is controlled under the Missile Technology Control Regime. The company is now in export talks with a foreign country, but special permits are needed.
The Indian Opinion
The nationalist glee around this breakthrough must not obscure the fact that India spent decades relying on imports for such strategic components. It took a chance meeting, a 75-year-old entrepreneur, and a mostly women team to do what state labs could not. The real test is whether this homegrown supply chain can scale and survive export curbs under the MTCR. How many missiles will actually carry a Made-in-India JT Cooler in the next five years?
Source: thehindubusinessline.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
