About The Role

We are hiring a Business Development Manager to own revenue generation across our defence/government and commercial markets. This is our first dedicated sales hire — you will build the commercial engine from the ground up, working directly with the founders. This is not a routine sales job — it's a builder role. You'll identify opportunities, open doors, run the full sales cycle, and shape how we go to market. The role is based in Pune (Pirangut), with frequent travel across India.

What You'll Do

- Defence & Government
- Identify and pursue opportunities with the Indian Armed Forces, paramilitary forces, state police, and defence PSUs
- Track and respond to RFIs, RFPs, and tenders on GeM and defence procurement portals; drive participation in iDEX, ADITI, and Make-in-India defence programs
- Build and maintain relationships with procurement officers, user directorates, and defence liaison channels
- Coordinate field trials, user evaluations, and demonstrations with end users
- Represent the company at defence expos and events (Aero India, DefExpo, etc.)
- Commercial
- Build a pipeline in commercial segments: industrial surveillance, infrastructure inspection, mining, agriculture, and cargo/logistics delivery
- Generate leads through outbound outreach, industry events, and partnerships
- Run product demos and pilot programs with enterprise customers
- Negotiate and close commercial contracts
- Cross-cutting
- Maintain a disciplined CRM and sales pipeline; report progress to founders weekly
- Gather market and competitor intelligence to inform product and pricing decisions




- Work closely with the engineering team to translate customer requirements into proposals
- Help define sales collateral, pricing structures, and go-to-market strategy

What We're Looking For
- 3–6 years of B2B sales or business development experience, with at least some exposure to defence/government sales (defence OEM, DPSU, defence-tech startup, or govt tendering)
- Working knowledge of Indian defence procurement — GeM, DAP 2020, iDEX, or tender processes (deep expertise not required; willingness to master it is)
- Proven ability to hunt: comfortable with cold outreach, long sales cycles, and building relationships from zero
- Solid written communication — you will draft proposals, tender responses, and technical bids
- Willingness to travel extensively across India for meetings, trials, and expos
- Self-starter comfortable with the ambiguity of an early-stage startup — no playbook, no support team
- Bonus points for
- Engineering or technical background (helps sell complex UAV systems credibly)
- Existing network in defence procurement or the drone/aerospace industry
- Experience selling hardware, capital equipment, or long-cycle technical products
- Familiarity with DGCA drone regulations and the Indian UAV ecosystem

What You Get
- Ground-floor role at a defence-tech startup with founder-level visibility and ownership
- Uncapped performance incentives tied directly to revenue you generate
- A clear path to leading the sales function as the company scales
- The chance to sell genuinely cutting-edge, made-in-India autonomous systems

📌 Business Development Manager (Pune)
🏢 Nova Robotics
📍 Pune