After studying aerospace engineering in the UK, Tanmay Tiwari returns to India and starts a business in Kanpur
Now set to establish a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Lucknow
Greater Noida, September 2026 : Uttar Pradesh Defense Industrial Corridor is connecting young people and new entrepreneurs with defense and aerospace manufacturing, as highlighted through the inspiring story shared by Tanmay Tiwari, Co-Founder and Deputy Managing Director of Datum Advanced Composites, during a special session of UPEIDA at the UP International Trade Show. After completing his aerospace engineering studies in the UK, Tanmay returned to India and started his business from a one-BHK flat. Today, his company manufactures advanced, lightweight composite equipment for the defense sector.
Tanmay Tiwari said that he spent around 5 years in Britain, where he completed his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in aerospace engineering. During the Defense Expo in Lucknow in 2020, he had the opportunity to closely observe India's defense and aerospace manufacturing ecosystem. After spending 5 days at the Defense Expo, he decided to start the company in India rather than in the UK.
After completing his postgraduate thesis in 2021, he returned to India and started Datum Advanced Composites. He said that the company's initial activities began from a one-BHK flat. At first, the company focused on the civilian sector and manufactured composite components made of carbon fiber and glass fiber for agricultural drones, automobiles, and high-end superbikes.
Tanmay Tiwari said his shift from the civilian sector to defense technology happened quickly. The company contacted IIT Kanpur and sent composite samples and test coupons for examination. After testing, it was confirmed that the products the company was manufacturing could meet the standards required for use in the defense sector. Thereafter, the company started production for the defense sector and gradually expanded its manufacturing capacity.
Starting from a small shed, the company now operates from a factory spanning around 20,000 square feet in Kanpur, with a team of around 40 people. He said the company is AS 9100 certified, a major international standard for quality management systems in the aerospace and defense industry. Bureau Veritas carried out the company's certification.
Tanmay Tiwari said the company now supplies its products not only to the Indian defense ecosystem but also to other companies operating in the Uttar Pradesh Defense Industrial Corridor. The company is also contributing to projects related to aircraft structures and lightweight weaponry.
He said the company will now establish a new state-of-the-art engineering and manufacturing facility in the Uttar Pradesh Defense Industrial Corridor at the Lucknow node. The built-up area of this new facility will be around 70,000 to 80,000 square feet, approximately four times larger than the company's existing facility. The new facility is expected to provide direct employment to around 200 people and indirect employment to approximately 1,500 people.
Referring to the incentives provided under the Uttar Pradesh Defense Industrial Corridor, Tanmay Tiwari said the new facility will be eligible for up to a 25 percent capital subsidy on the capital investment. In addition, facilities such as transportation-related subsidy on equipment imported from abroad and reimbursement for patents and trademarks are also available.
He said that these policy incentives and government support have created new opportunities for young entrepreneurs to enter and expand in the defense and aerospace sectors.
Tanmay Tiwari said the journey of a company that started from a small one-BHK flat and is now moving towards a state-of-the-art defense manufacturing facility spanning thousands of square feet is an example of how a new defense manufacturing ecosystem is taking shape in Uttar Pradesh, driven by new technology, young talent, and government support.
Expressing gratitude to the state government and concerned officials for the support he received from the Uttar Pradesh Defense Industrial Corridor, he said he was proud to be part of this ecosystem.
