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Deepinder Goyal in talks to invest $1M in drone startup Kalam Labs
Zomato founder may join $5–7M funding round for stratospheric UAV developer
MUMBAI: Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal is reportedly in advanced discussions to invest around $1 million (Rs 9 crore) of his personal wealth in Kalam Labs, a Lucknow-based startup developing near-space drones. The company is currently raising a larger funding round estimated between $5 million and $7 million, according to reports.
Founded in 2018 by BITS Pilani graduates Harshit Awasthi, Sashakt Tripathi and Ahmad Faraaz, Kalam Labs initially started as an educational technology platform before pivoting to the aerospace and defence sector. The company now focuses on developing advanced unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) designed for high-altitude operations.
The startup’s drones are designed to operate in the stratosphere, significantly higher than typical commercial UAVs. According to the founders, the drones have minimal thermal signatures and low radar cross-sections, making them difficult to detect. They also claim the systems can deliver capabilities comparable to mini fighter jets while maintaining the manufacturing costs of traditional drones.
Investor interest in India’s drone and defence technology sector has grown in recent years, particularly as autonomous systems gain strategic importance in modern security operations.
Kalam Labs has already attracted backing from venture capital firms including Lightspeed Venture Partners and Y Combinator. The startup also gained wider visibility after appearing on Shark Tank India, where it secured investment from Aman Gupta, and through a technical collaboration for the aerial action film Fighter.
The potential investment reflects Goyal’s increasing focus on frontier technologies through his personal investments. He has backed several ventures across space, aerospace, health, and hardware innovation.
His notable investments include Pixxel, a space technology company where he reportedly invested $25–30 million, Temple, a wearable technology startup that recently raised $54 million from Vy Capital and others, LAT Aerospace, focused on specialised aviation engineering, and Continue, a research-driven venture exploring longevity and human health.
The ongoing funding round for Kalam Labs is also expected to include participation from Globaz Technologies, as the startup looks to scale its manufacturing capacity and research and development capabilities.
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Boeing appoints Barun as head of FP&A for global engineering function
Seasoned finance leader to steer budgets and strategy across global centres
BENGALURU: Boeing’s finance cockpit has a new pilot, and he is no stranger to turbulence or transformation. Boeing has appointed Barun as head of FP&A for global engineering, placing him at the centre of financial strategy for its worldwide engineering and technology operations.
Based in Bengaluru, Barun steps into a role that is as expansive as it is critical. He will serve as the primary finance lead for Boeing’s Engineering and Technology Centers globally, working closely with executive leadership to shape financial decisions, manage complex budgets, and design scalable finance processes that support the company’s growing engineering footprint.
In a note announcing his move Barun said, “I’m excited to share that I’ve joined Boeing Global Engineering. This opportunity is incredibly meaningful to me not just from a professional standpoint, but also for what Boeing represents globally.” He added that he looks forward to contributing to an organisation that continues to shape the future of aerospace and innovation.
Barun’s mandate spans strategic financial leadership, operational oversight, and stakeholder engagement. From directing large-scale budgets and schedules to influencing long-term organisational goals, the role blends financial discipline with business foresight. He will also lead cross-functional teams and partner with finance colleagues worldwide to support engineering programmes across geographies, including India.
The appointment caps a long stint at Juniper Networks, where Barun spent over a decade, most recently as finance senior manager. There, he led FP&A for global product business units and G&A functions, driving budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning. He also played a key role in enterprise-wide transformation, including spearheading an Oracle to SAP ERP migration and building advanced analytics capabilities using tools such as Tableau and SAP Analytics Cloud.
His earlier career includes finance leadership roles at Sony India Software Centre, Cognizant Technology Solutions, and Mphasis, where he focused on financial planning, governance frameworks, and operational efficiency across global delivery centres.
A chartered accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Barun brings nearly two decades of experience across financial planning, digital transformation, and analytics-led decision making.
His appointment comes at a time when global engineering operations are becoming increasingly complex and distributed, requiring sharper financial oversight and agile planning. With Barun at the helm of FP&A for engineering, Boeing appears to be tightening its financial playbook as it looks to scale innovation with discipline.
