Industrialists Yohan and Michelle Poonawalla have invested in Optimized Solutions Ltd (OSL), marking their entry into India’s expanding defence and security technology ecosystem.
The investment will focus on supporting indigenous technology, innovation and advanced manufacturing in areas spanning defence, aerospace, space and critical technologies, including nuclear power.
OSL develops strategic electronics for deep-tech applications serving strategic and commercial organisations. The company has worked with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and contributed to key national space programmes, including Mangalyaan and Chandrayaan, by providing critical electronics and technology.
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Its work also extends to strategic initiatives undertaken across several Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratories. OSL has contributed to the indigenisation of critical subsystems used by the Indian Army and Air Force.
The company's capabilities cover a range of technologies, from electronic modules to semiconductor technologies. These offerings place it within an ecosystem where demand for locally developed technologies and advanced manufacturing solutions is expanding.
The Poonawallas' investment comes as India's space and defence industries undergo a period of sustained expansion, supported by rising indigenous production, greater private-sector participation and growing exports.
India's defence production reached a record Rs 1.78 lakh crore in FY 2025-26. Defence exports also rose to an all-time high of Rs 38,424 crore during the year. The private sector contributed Rs 17,353 crore to these exports, accounting for 45.16%.
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Yohan Poonawalla, chairman of Poonawalla Group, said the defence sector was entering a phase in which domestic technology, advanced engineering and private companies would have a larger role in developing long-term capabilities. He said the group saw considerable potential in OSL and intended to support its efforts to develop technologies that could strengthen India's self-reliance and global competitiveness in defence.
The transaction also fits into the Poonawalla Group's wider strategy of backing businesses built around innovation, engineering capabilities and long-term value creation.
With policy and industry attention increasingly centred on domestic defence manufacturing, advanced technologies and strategic self-reliance, the investment will give the group an entry into an rapidly transforming sector.
