Kalam Labs on Shark Tank India Season 5 Episode 3 – A High-Altitude Vision for India’s Aerospace Future

One of the most ambitious pitches of the season was presented to viewers on Shark Tank India Season 5 Episode 3: Kalam Labs, a deep-tech firm based in Lucknow that is developing near-space flying vehicles for defense, surveillance, and weather monitoring. The Tank’s founders sought strategic financing to further their innovative vision while bringing both technical expertise and a sense of national purpose.

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Ahmad Faraaz, Sashakt Tripathi, and Harshit Awasthi, three BITS Pilani graduates with a strong interest in aerospace and defense technologies, created Kalam Labs. The company started out as a space-focused learning platform but soon changed its attention to developing high-altitude, balloon-assisted unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that could operate in the stratosphere.

By providing affordable, reusable near-space technologies with applications including weather condition assessment, border security, and strategic surveillance, Kalam Labs has been able to close the gap between costly satellite systems and conventional aircraft.

Checkout the company website here: Kalam Labs

What sets Kalam Labs apart is its near-space technology, which operates at altitudes far above conventional drones but below satellites — often around the edge of space.

Key Features of Their Tech

• High-Altitude Capability: Vehicles reach stratospheric levels (~43 km), offering surveillance and data collection like satellite systems.
• Low Thermal Signature: Designed to be difficult to detect, enhancing strategic use in military and defence contexts.
• Cost-Effective Manufacturing: Reportedly similar in cost to advanced drone production but with broader performance potential.
• Operational Versatility: Technologies are deployed with agencies like the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Army for practical use cases.

This combination of advanced engineering and affordability positions Kalam Labs as a unique player in India’s emerging defence-tech and aerospace ecosystems.

Since its inception:

• Pre-pivot Revenue: Kalam Labs generated approximately ₹1.5 crore in revenue as a space-learning platform before shifting focus to aerospace missions.
• Launch Track Record: The company has completed over 60 launches with practical deployments for government agencies.
• Current Orders & Pipeline: A ₹1 crore order payment was disclosed to be in progress, and discussions with defence officials indicate potential procurement deals valued at an estimated ₹150 crore — reflecting strong interest from key stakeholders.
• Valuation in Tank: Kalam Labs pitched at a ₹300 crore valuation based on their long-term potential and technology IP.

These financial indicators point to a business with small early-stage revenue but substantial potential earnings and strategic influence as defense engagements and contracts grow.

As soon as the founders of Kalam Labs entered the Shark Tank in Season 5, Episode 3, their pitch stood apart from the typical D2C and consumer-brand firms. The Sharks were shown a deep-tech, aerospace, and defense invention that sought to function at the very edge of space rather than food, fashion, or tech apps.

In their stirring opening remarks, the founders described how Kalam Labs is developing near-space, high-altitude aerial platforms that can fly in the stratosphere, far higher than drones and far less expensive than satellites. They demonstrated a launch video and mission images in which their balloon-assisted aerial vehicle reached extremely high elevations and successfully gathered atmospheric and surveillance data in order to bring the idea to life. This caught the panel’s attention right away and established a somber, national-interest tone for the pitch.

They then moved to the problem statement:

India currently relies heavily on expensive satellites and foreign technology for weather monitoring, border surveillance, and strategic data collection. While satellites are expensive to construct, deploy, and replace, conventional drones are unable to operate at such high altitudes for extended periods of time. Kalam Labs offers a reusable, affordable, domestic solution in the space between drones and satellites.

The Ask

The founders made a bold ask: ₹2 crore for 0.67% equity, valuing the company at approximately ₹300 crore.

Sharks’ Reactions

The Sharks were visibly impressed by:

• The technical depth of the founders
• The clarity of vision
• The strategic importance of the technology for India
• The fact that this was not a “copy-paste startup” but original R&D-driven innovation

But when the valuation was questioned, the discussion soon became heated. The Sharks questioned whether such a high valuation at its current revenue level could be justified by a hardware-heavy, R&D-intensive company with lengthy sales cycles and a reliance on government procurement.

Key discussion points included:

• Scalability: How fast can such complex aerospace systems be manufactured and deployed?
• Revenue timelines: Defence and space contracts often take years to close.
• Capital intensity: Continuous R&D, testing, and compliance require heavy funding.
• Exit horizons: Unlike consumer brands, deep-tech defence startups have longer exit cycles.

The founders’ mission was highly respected in spite of these worries. Aman Gupta, one of the Sharks, showed respect for the startup’s ambition and “nation-building” component. He admitted that the technology itself was remarkable and strategically significant, even though the company would not fit a conventional Shark Tank investment argument.

The conversation remained primarily strategic and vision-driven, with few forceful counteroffers.

But the largest obstacle remained the valuation. Given the early-stage revenues and lengthy gestation period typical of aerospace ventures, no Shark felt comfortable matching the ₹300 crore price on-air for such a small ownership investment.

Engineers, defense experts, and young technologists have shown a great deal of interest in the firm since its presentation, which is indicative of its enhanced visibility following the Shark Tank limelight.

The founders intend to use any investment — particularly from potential Shark partnerships — to:

• Establish a dedicated R&D facility
• Accelerate production and iterative testing
• Expand their technology stack to new aerospace applications
• Build indigenous capabilities in avionics, propulsion, and near-space systems

As they grow, their overarching goal of making India Atmanirbhar in aerospace research and operations continues to be crucial to their vision.

One of the most fascinating deep-tech tales of the season was Kalam Labs’ appearance on Shark Tank India Season 5 Episode 3. Even though the terms of the purchase were complicated, the presentation raised awareness of India’s emerging aerospace and defense technology industry, encouraging upcoming inventors who want to achieve new heights both literally and figuratively.