SOURCE: AFI
Bengaluru-based deep-tech startup Optimized Electrotech has achieved a groundbreaking milestone with the development of India’s first Generation 5 (Gen 5) AI-driven imaging seeker, named “Harpy Sight.” Announced in February 2025, this cutting-edge technology promises to redefine precision targeting and surveillance capabilities for India’s defense forces, integrating advanced artificial intelligence with electro-optical systems. As the nation accelerates its push for indigenous defense solutions under “Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” Optimized Electrotech’s innovation positions it at the forefront of India’s burgeoning aerospace and defense sector.
Founded in 2017 by Sandeep Shah, Anil Yekkala, Dharin Shah, Kuldeep Saxena, and Purvi Shah, Optimized Electrotech has carved a niche in imaging surveillance, blending AI with electro-optics to serve both strategic and commercial clients. With its prototyping and R&D hub in Bengaluru—India’s Silicon Valley—the startup has now unveiled Harpy Sight, designed for real-time target detection, advanced guidance, and seamless integration with micro-missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This marks a significant leap beyond traditional seekers, heralding a new era of intelligent, autonomous weapon systems
The Harpy Sight seeker stands out as a Gen 5 system, a designation that reflects its incorporation of fifth-generation attributes: AI-driven autonomy, enhanced data processing, and adaptability to complex environments. Unlike earlier generations reliant on infrared or laser guidance with limited decision-making, Harpy Sight leverages an AI-powered imaging core—covering the 400 nm to 12 ?m electromagnetic spectrum—to identify and track targets in real time. Its electro-optical suite, paired with edge analytics, enables autonomous threat recognition across diverse conditions, from fog-laden borders to nocturnal operations.
Optimized Electrotech touts Harpy Sight’s compatibility with micro-missiles and UAVs, a nod to India’s growing emphasis on drones and precision munitions, as seen at Aero India 2025. Weighing under 2 kg (based on similar systems), it integrates seamlessly with platforms like DRDO’s Zorawar Light Tank or NewSpace’s swarm drones, offering a detection range speculated to exceed 10 km. “This seeker doesn’t just see—it thinks,” a company spokesperson remarked, highlighting its ability to distinguish between decoys and actual threats, a capability honed through deep learning algorithms developed at their Bengaluru facility.
The development comes amid heightened security demands along India’s northern and northeastern borders, where China’s J-20 stealth fighters and Pakistan’s potential J-35A acquisitions loom large. Traditional seekers, while effective, often falter in cluttered or electronically jammed environments—precisely where Harpy Sight excels. Its AI backbone, built on years of R&D and four patents (two granted by 2023), fuses multi-spectral imagery with predictive analytics, ensuring precision strikes without human intervention—a game-changer for counter-insurgency and high-altitude warfare.
The Indian Army’s recent focus on drones, showcased at Aero India 2025 with systems like the MBC2 swarm, aligns with Harpy Sight’s mission profile. Posts on X have buzzed with excitement, with users noting its potential to “level the playing field” against larger Chinese UAVs like the Wing Loong II, which lack such advanced imaging autonomy. For Optimized Electrotech, this is a natural evolution from its earlier “Vision” series—long-range surveillance platforms with proven 30 km detection—that won accolades from the Ministry of Defence’s iDEX challenges.
Mass production is next, with plans to partner with private manufacturers under DRDO’s Technology Development Fund (TDF). “Hundreds of seekers could be deployed within two years,” an industry insider told idrw.org, projecting integration with HAL’s UAVs and missile systems like the Nag ATGM by 2027. This aligns with the government’s ?1 lakh crore allocation for domestic defense procurement in 2023, fueling opportunities for startups like Optimized Electrotech to bridge capability gaps.
NOTE: AFI is a proud outsourced content creator partner of IDRW.ORG. All content created by AFI is the sole property of AFI and is protected by copyright. AFI takes copyright infringement seriously and will pursue all legal options available to protect its content.