Rahul Verma

Rahul Verma is a professional with experience in aviation, unmanned systems, innovation management, and business development. He is currently working as Associate Vice President at Bharat Forge Ltd, focusing on stakeholder management, business development, and technology integration related to Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) and High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS). He also supports emerging technology identification and prioritisation to advance force modernisation.
 

Before this, he served as Deputy General Manager at Tata Advanced Systems Limited from 2023 to 2025. In this role, he worked on technology vision and innovation strategy for defence-based unmanned and autonomous systems. 

He coordinated market studies, managed patents and intellectual property-related activities, developed product and financial forecasts, built business cases, supported RFP/RFQ/RFI responses, and led integration projects involving sensors, payloads, and platforms. He also acted as Programme Manager for an indigenous High Altitude Long Endurance UAV project.
 

Rahul served in the Indian Navy for over 21 years. His roles included Director Innovation for Aviation and Unmanned Systems, Commanding Officer, and Joint Director for Air Warfare and Remotely Piloted Aircraft. As Director Innovation, he led the Technology Development Acceleration Cell responsible for identifying emerging technology of military relevance and supporting indigenous development under the Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO). He is a qualified Naval Aviator, Night Deck Pilot, Instructor, Accident Investigator, and RPA Subject Matter Expert.
 

Rahul has completed multiple academic qualifications, including an Executive MBA jointly from IIT Bombay and Washington University in St. Louis, an MA in Aviation Law from NALSAR University, and product management and innovation certifications from institutions such as Harvard Business School Online, UNITAR, INSEAD, and ISB. He is certified in PRINCE2, MSP, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, and Disciplined Agile Scrum Master.
 

He has published articles on unmanned systems, aviation policy, safety management, and technology topics in several platforms and defence-related publications. His professional interests include unmanned aviation, flight safety, innovation ecosystems, product strategy, and defence capability development.

Rahul Verma was born in India. He developed an interest in aviation and national service early in his life. After completing his schooling, he joined the National Defence Academy, where he studied from 1998 to 2001. He later continued his training through the Indian Naval Academy and was commissioned as an officer in the Indian Navy.
 

Rahul started his aviation career as a Naval Aviator and flew both manned and unmanned aircraft. Between 2004 and 2008, he served as a Staff Pilot on INS Viraat. During this period, he gained operational experience in naval aviation and worked in deck-based flight operations.
 

From 2012 to 2013, Rahul served as Senior Pilot at INAS 343, operating unmanned platforms. Between 2011 and 2013, he underwent training in Israel Aerospace Industries (MHT Division), where he qualified as an Internal Pilot Instructor, Mission Commander, and system specialist for Heron and Searcher Mk II UAVs. He also received certification in military technologies, command control and operations.
 

From 2016 to 2020, Rahul served as Joint Director for Air Warfare (Rotary Wing and Remotely Piloted Aircraft) at the Integrated Headquarters. During this period, he represented the Indian Navy in HOSTAC, the international standardisation forum for helicopter operations from ships other than aircraft carriers. He contributed to planning, flight safety, operational procedures, and capability assessments for naval aviation assets.
 

From 2019 to 2020, he was also designated as an RPA Subject Matter Expert at Aero SSSC, Bengaluru. He trained personnel and supported development of unmanned aviation safety and mission frameworks.
 

In 2020, Rahul took command as Commanding Officer and led operational deployments, training, and coordination duties until 2022.
 

From 2022 to 2023, he served as Director Innovation (Commander, TDAC) for Aviation and Unmanned Systems in the Indian Navy. In this role, he led the Technology Development Acceleration Cell, which worked on identifying emerging technologies with military relevance and supporting their induction into naval capability. He contributed to NIIO’s Swavlamban programme and worked with industry, startups, and research institutions to support the development of indigenous systems under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
 

Over his service career, Rahul wrote and contributed to publications on unmanned aviation, safety, and air operations. These included articles in Meatball, Flight Safety Magazine, Aviation Update, DroneWorld, and defence commentary platforms. His topics included unmanned traffic management, cockpit and crew resource management in unmanned operations, stress management in unmanned aviation, satellite imagery policy, and operational lessons from remote piloted aircraft use.

Rahul has pursued continuous academic development. He completed an Executive MBA jointly from IIT Bombay and Washington University in St. Louis (2022–2023). He earned an MA in Aviation Law and Air Transport Management from NALSAR (2018–2020). 

He later completed product management and innovation programmes through Amity University Online, Harvard Business School Online, The Takshashila Institution, UNITAR, ISB, INSEAD, and other institutions. He also received certifications in PRINCE2 Practitioner, MSP Practitioner, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Disciplined Agile Scrum Master, and courses related to diplomacy, satellite communication, space law, drones, safety management, and technology policy.
 

In August 2023, Rahul joined Tata Advanced Systems Limited as Deputy General Manager. His work included technology vision planning, market analysis, innovation pipeline development, intellectual property management, business case planning, budget planning, project management, and customer and stakeholder engagement. He also supported RFP and contract proposals and served as Programme Manager for an Indigenous High Altitude Long Endurance UAV project.
 

In January 2025, Rahul joined Bharat Forge Ltd as Associate Vice President. He is currently responsible for stakeholder engagement, business development, system integration planning, and emerging technology identification for Medium and High Altitude Unmanned Systems. He also supports international and domestic customer interaction and capability development.
 

Rahul continues to publish on aviation, technology, law, and policy topics and contributes to discussions on unmanned systems development and national capability building. He currently lives in India and continues his professional work in aviation and defence technology development.

Rahul Verma’s vision is to support the growth of unmanned aviation and advanced aerospace systems in India through practical innovation, collaboration, and knowledge sharing. He aims to strengthen indigenous capability in MALE and HALE class RPAS, flight safety processes, airspace integration, and operational training. His focus is on developing systems that are reliable, scalable, and aligned with national security needs. He seeks to connect industry, research institutions, startups, and user agencies to build solutions that address real operational requirements. His long-term goal is to help India become self-reliant and globally competitive in unmanned and autonomous aviation technologies.

Rahul Verma has been recognised throughout his career for contributions to unmanned aviation, naval aviation operations, and technology development. He received certifications and professional recognition from Israel Aerospace Industries for his role as a Mission Commander and Internal Pilot Instructor on Heron and Searcher Mk II UAVs. During his service with the Indian Navy, he contributed to the development of emerging technology initiatives under the Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation, which received national-level attention and support. His published work on safety management, unmanned traffic systems, and aviation policy has been referenced in aviation and defence professional platforms.