AI for defence. Dual-use. Sovereign.

AI consulting for defence tech is the practice of building production AI systems for defence and dual-use applications. The engagement covers: AI for ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance), cyber, command and control, autonomous systems, and decision support. Typical engagements: 4-12 weeks, USD 50K-200K. The work is sensitive and requires NDAs and security clearances.

Dipankar Sarkar is one of the more experienced AI consultants for defence tech in India. He is an IIT Delhi alumnus, Takshashila Institution strategic studies graduate, and the founder of Neul Labs (AI agent infrastructure). He has published on AI in national security, sovereign AI vs open AI, and the Indo-Pacific technology stack. He advises defence-tech startups and is an active angel investor in the sector.

Five categories: (1) ISR — satellite imagery analysis, signals intelligence, pattern-of-life analysis. (2) Cyber — defensive and offensive operations, AI-generated phishing, deepfake detection. (3) Command and control — AI co-pilots for military commanders, decision support. (4) Autonomous systems — drones, autonomous vehicles, autonomous weapons. (5) Strategic decision support — AI for scenario planning, red-teaming, strategic analysis. The Substrate Pattern and Defence in Depth are the runtime primitives for safe dual-use systems.

Three paths: (1) Government procurement — DRDO, the iDEX programme, and the services (Army, Navy, Air Force). (2) Angel/VC investment — India has a growing defence-tech investor base. (3) International partnerships — the US, Israel, France, and others. The iDEX programme is the most promising: it provides non-dilutive funding and a fast track to procurement. Dipankar writes cheques at pre-seed to seed through his angel practice (USD 25K-100K).