Aerospace and defense (A&D) manufacturing startup Jeh Aerospace has raised $2.75 million in seed funding through a strategic partnership with global venture capital (VC) firm General Catalyst. Additionally, aerospace industry veterans, including Pratyush (Prat) Kumar, former president of Boeing India, and Dwarakanath Srinivasan, former CEO and MD of Airbus India, participated in the round as angel investors. 

Jeh Aerospace aims to play a meaningful role in solving global supply chain constraints plaguing the industry. The company provides ready manufacturing solutions to the A&D industry through its scalable manufacturing facilities and vetted supplier networks that meet or exceed global quality standards. The funds will be deployed to build infrastructure, fuel growth, and a team to transform the supply chain experience for international aerospace customers.

The industry confronts several significant challenges that impact its reliability and resilience. These challenges relate to complexity, geopolitical factors, supply chain disruptions, and workforce constraints in the established centers of A&D manufacturing in the USA and Western Europe. 

This can enable new sources of manufacturing capacities and capable talent to build reliable, responsive, and resilient supply chains. That is where Jeh comes in, harnessing India's full potential for A&D manufacturing and introducing contemporary digital and AI technology from day one.  

Co-founders Vishal Sanghavi and Venkatesh Mudragalla, Jeh Aerospace, said this is the most challenging and exciting of times for the global aerospace and defense industry. On one hand, the demand has sharply bounced back post-COVID; on the other, it is severely constrained on the supply side. 

"Jeh Aerospace, with its presence in the US and India, is very well placed to alleviate this industry pain meaningfully. We have found strong traction with global customers, helping them improve delivery and supporting their growth needs. We are excited about our upcoming journey and thank all our investors for supporting our tryst with entrepreneurship," they stated.

The co-founders Vishal R Sanghavi (ex-COO of Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited) and Venkatesh Mudragalla (ex-head of program management and operations of Tata Sikorsky Aerospace) played a crucial role over the last decade in unlocking India's potential for marquee OEMs like Boeing, Lockheed, Sikorsky, GE, Pilatus, etc. 

They founded Jeh Aerospace to help a large base of global tier 1 and 2 manufacturers leverage India's capabilities, capacities, and cost competitiveness and develop a reliable and resilient supply base in a hassle-free manner. Working for years in the US-India corridor has helped both founders prepare for a more robust and adaptable aerospace supply chain capable of withstanding various challenges and uncertainties.

Anand Chandrasekaran, partner of General Catalyst, said that since his introduction to Vishal and Venky, they have been captivated by the duo's ambitious drive, unwavering commitment to excellence, and dedication to responsible innovation. 

"As one example of their ambition, they recruited our friend, Prat Kumar, a former Boeing executive who until recently led Boeing's iconic F-15 Program, to be a key mentor on their journey. Their strategic focus on addressing the critical challenges faced by Tier-2 and 3 aerospace suppliers in the US through leveraging India's dynamic labor pool and manufacturing strengths in the India-US corridor we think is commendable," he added.