Hypersonic missile system coming soon after successful trials, reveals ex-DRDO chief

India is close to reaching a significant defence achievement with the introduction of a homegrown hypersonic missile that can travel at Mach 5, according to Dr. Sudhir Kumar Mishra, a veteran Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) scientist.

Speaking during the Powering Bharat Summit, held by Network18 in partnership with Moneycontrol, News18 India, and CNBC Awaaz, the former DRDO chief on Friday (May 16) said that DRDO has recently completed successful tests for a hypersonic engine and is now preparing to launch the missile system.

Mishra, who previously served as DRDO DG and as MD & CEO of BrahMos Aerospace, currently holds the DRDO chair.

"Two-three weeks back, we tested a hypersonic engine. Soon, we will come out with a hypersonic missile that will reach Mach 5 speed. All the technologies for BrahMos were developed in-house by DRDO, we even built the world’s largest launcher ourselves," Mishra said, adding that when other nations compare missile systems and choose to induct India’s, “it means ours is the best.”

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Participating in a panel titled Defending Bharat: Indian Drones, Missiles, Defence Tech, Mishra spoke alongside experts in the drone and defence technology fields.

Lt Gen (Dr) Inderjit Singh, Strategic Advisor at ideaForge Technology, said India has been proactive about drone technology for over a decade. "Today, we are the biggest company in ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) technologies. The Ministry of Defence is significantly scaling up efforts to acquire cutting-edge technologies,” he mentioned.

He referred to BrahMos as a “very potent universal weapon” that delivers a strong impact, making it almost impossible to intercept. He stressed the system's reliability, noting that over 130 tests have consistently shown improvements. Highlighting quality over cost, Mishra said DRDO prefers the best technical offer (T1) over the lowest bidder (L1) to ensure top performance.

Smit Shah, President of the Drone Federation of India, highlighted how policy reforms catalysed the sector’s growth. “In 2021, we introduced the drone policy, which, though framed for civilian use, unlocked opportunities for private players to develop drone technologies. The aim was to create indigenous intellectual property,” Shah said.

Mishra also highlighted the long development time for defence technology, advising investors not to expect quick returns within 2–3 years. “Real defense R&D takes at least a decade,” he said. Addressing the fragmented defence manufacturing sector, he called for better consolidation: “If there are 3,000 companies in every vertical, it’s tough for buyers to support them. Why don’t you group them?” On the drone sector, he predicted: “Today, there are 400 drone companies. I’m telling you, not more than 20 will survive.”