Raphe mPhibr Adopts Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE Platform to Accelerate UAV Innovation and Redefine Aerospace Manufacturing in India
Dassault Systèmes (Euronext Paris: FR0014003TT8, DSY.PA) has announced a groundbreaking collaboration with Indian aerospace manufacturer Raphe mPhibr, marking a major step forward in the evolution of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) engineering in India. By adopting Dassault’s 3DEXPERIENCE platform, Raphe mPhibr is revolutionizing how modern UAVs are conceptualized, validated, and manufactured, achieving drastic reductions in development timelines and unlocking a new era of agile, digitally-driven innovation in Indian aerospace.
Founded with a vision to make India self-reliant in advanced aerospace and defense systems, Raphe mPhibr has emerged as a prominent player in the unmanned systems space. The company’s highly integrated design and production capabilities have attracted national and international attention for their potential to redefine what indigenous innovation in aerospace can achieve. The adoption of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform positions Raphe mPhibr among a new generation of aerospace manufacturers leveraging digital tools to enable faster, lighter, and more intelligent drone systems.
India’s Growing UAV Market: A Strategic Moment for Transformation
India’s UAV market is rapidly expanding as drones become critical assets across multiple sectors, including defense, homeland security, precision agriculture, logistics, surveillance, and infrastructure monitoring. According to industry estimates, global demand for unmanned aircraft systems is expected to surge, reaching approximately 6.5 million units by 2030.
For India, a country with ambitious goals to achieve strategic autonomy in aerospace and defense, this technological shift offers both an opportunity and a challenge. Local companies must scale up rapidly to meet the complex engineering demands of the UAV revolution. Raphe mPhibr is answering that call by combining world-class in-house manufacturing capabilities with cutting-edge digital engineering tools that accelerate time-to-market without compromising on performance or safety.
End-to-End Innovation: Integrating Design, Simulation, and Production
Raphe mPhibr’s commitment to designing and building complete UAV systems under one roof is central to its strategy. The company produces everything from composite airframes and metal structures to embedded electronics and propulsion systems, allowing for seamless integration and control across the entire product lifecycle.
With the adoption of Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform, Raphe mPhibr has taken this integration to the next level. The platform offers a unified digital environment that connects every stage of the product development cycle — from early concept modeling and performance simulation to final design optimization and manufacturing execution. This holistic digital framework dramatically reduces design cycles while enhancing collaborative decision-making, quality assurance, and cost control.
Breakthroughs in Engine Development and Composite Materials
One of the most striking achievements resulting from this collaboration was seen during the development of Raphe mPhibr’s proprietary 4kW 2-stroke UAV engine — a highly advanced system designed for superior performance in compact form factors. Traditionally, the development of such an aerospace-grade engine could span several years due to the complexity involved in thermodynamics modeling, component tolerancing, and assembly validation.
However, by leveraging the virtual twin capabilities and advanced simulation tools embedded in the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, Raphe mPhibr’s engineering team was able to compress the entire development process into just three months. Through this platform, the team reimagined components for 3D printing, enabled stress-based design refinement, and achieved faster validation using multiphysics simulations.
In addition, Raphe mPhibr successfully applied the platform to the design of complex composite parts, optimizing them for strength-to-weight performance while meeting the rigorous structural requirements of next-generation drones. As a result, the company achieved a 700-gram weight reduction on its engine — an outcome with significant implications for extended flight duration, improved fuel efficiency, and increased payload capacity.
This reduction is particularly impactful considering the performance metrics involved: the engine now outperforms comparable systems that are seven times heavier, giving Raphe mPhibr a distinctive edge in the competitive UAV propulsion landscape.
A Paradigm Shift in Aerospace Design Philosophy
“Designing and manufacturing a drone is nothing less than designing and manufacturing a whole aircraft,” said Vikash Mishra, Chairman of Raphe mPhibr. “The kind of drones we are manufacturing consist of 20,000 to 30,000 individual parts.”
Mishra emphasized how the 3DEXPERIENCE platform is changing the very nature of how the company approaches design. Instead of being constrained by conventional geometric shapes or mechanical drawings, the platform empowers teams to think and work in true 3D, allowing engineers and designers to model complex forms inspired by nature — from biological anatomy and plant structures to geological surfaces.
“The 3DEXPERIENCE platform allows us to think in 3D – not in straight lines, circles, or squares. Biological systems that have evolved in nature are not made up of geometric shapes. So, using this platform, we can design more organically and without limitations. It’s the best software to create our vision,” Mishra explained.
This transition from geometric modeling to organic, parametric design represents a fundamental rethinking of how aerospace products can and should be built in the 21st century — marrying natural form-finding techniques with digital manufacturing workflows.
Dassault Systèmes: Enabling the Future of Indian Aerospace
Commenting on the partnership, David Ziegler, Vice President, Aerospace and Defense Industry at Dassault Systèmes, highlighted how Raphe mPhibr’s innovative approach reflects a broader transformation underway in the aerospace industry.
“Raphe mPhibr’s adoption of our 3DEXPERIENCE platform shows how innovators are building tomorrow’s advanced air mobility solutions with virtual twin experiences,” said Ziegler. “Its focus on in-house design sets a new benchmark for engineering excellence.”
Ziegler added that Dassault’s platform brings together every dimension of design, simulation, manufacturing, and collaboration into one integrated ecosystem, helping customers innovate faster while maintaining operational discipline and reducing waste.
For Raphe mPhibr, this means shorter time to market, higher component reliability, and a stronger foundation for continuous product evolution — all essential ingredients for competing in global defense and civilian UAV markets.
A Record-Breaking Investment and a Vision for Scalable Growth
Raphe mPhibr’s achievements have not gone unnoticed. The company recently secured a $100 million investment round, led by General Catalyst, making it the largest-ever private funding round for an Indian aircraft manufacturing firm. This infusion of capital will fuel Raphe mPhibr’s expansion plans and enhance its ability to deliver state-of-the-art UAV solutions both in India and internationally.
With a team of over 500 professionals, Raphe mPhibr has amassed a portfolio of more than 100 proprietary intellectual property assets. Its drone systems have already logged over one million kilometers (621,371 miles) in missions conducted by Indian security forces — a testament to both their performance and operational trustworthiness.
Looking ahead, the company plans to significantly expand its R&D and manufacturing footprint, hire additional high-skill talent, and deepen its capabilities in virtual twin-based lifecycle management — a move that will enable more predictive maintenance, digital certification, and mission-readiness analytics across its fleet of aerial systems.
A Model for India’s Aerospace Future
Raphe mPhibr’s partnership with Dassault Systèmes marks more than just a technological upgrade — it represents a blueprint for India’s aerospace renaissance. By fusing local engineering excellence with globally proven digital platforms, the company is demonstrating how Indian firms can take the lead in developing high-performance, low-footprint UAVs that meet the challenges of modern security, environmental monitoring, and logistics.
As the country continues its drive toward Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) in critical technology sectors, Raphe mPhibr stands as a powerful example of what’s possible when vision, capital, and innovation ecosystems converge.
Through the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, Raphe mPhibr is not only building advanced UAVs — it is also building India’s aerospace future.
