Capt. Aman Johri is the CEO of an Aerospace & Defence Firm based in Mumbai

On the 28th of March 2023, the DAIS Leadership Series welcomed Captain Aman Johri. Capt. Aman Johri is the CEO of an Aerospace & Defence Firm based in Mumbai. He develops next-generation weapons technology for the Indian Armed Forces.

After getting his B.Tech in Aerospace Engineering from SRM University, Aman went on to get his MBA and Masters in Astronautics Engineering from Purdue University, USA where he worked on NASA related projects including satellites and rocket launches. Capt. Johri has professional Engineering experience working with Air India and Etihad Airways, including Airbus, Boeing, Sikorsky and Bell Civil and Military Helicopters and Aircrafts. He currently holds the distinction of being the only private Defence startup to have provided Air Defence and security cover to the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India and Chief of Defence Staff with next gen indigenous weapons technology developed by Aman himself.

Capt. Johri has won several accolades like SKOCH Entrepreneur of the Year at the Parliament of India in 2018 and Defense Innovation of the Year in 2022. Capt. Johri is an Airborne Weapons Specialist, Astronautics Engineer, Helicopter Pilot, TedX Speaker and the youngest lifetime member of the prestigious Rotary Wing Society of India. Capt. Johri serves on several policy panels with the Government of India on matters related to national security.

Capt. Johri has also represented India at the United Nations and Global Diplomats Forum and is also currently the official Indian representative at Helicopters Association International, USA. He's also fondly known as India's Tony Stark.

During his talk at the event, Capt. Johri enthralled the audience with the Tony-Stark-like personality, narrating numerous exciting stories about his missions and journeys with the Indian Armed Forces. One could definitely observe many fascinated faces looking up at the stage as Capt. Johri gave us insight into how operations in the Indian Armed Forces are executed. He also touched upon how a character in the popular fil “Uri” was based on him, a topic that left many students in awe.

Apart from sharing his experiences, Capt. Johri also shared his journey to becoming one of India’s influential leaders. He spoke of times when he was just like any student in the audience and how he battled problems and found his confidence through various MUNs. He stressed upon the importance of trying new experiences and exploring despite any failures one might face. He also fondly spoke of his time at Purdue University and how he managed to pursue an MS, an MBA and an internship with NASA while managing his company Jatayu Unmanned Systems from the United States. His hard work and determination seemed to motivate many students and teachers.

Capt. Johri’s influence was perhaps best described by the scenes after the event. Numerous teachers were seen discussing the event in the classes that followed and some students had been inspired to decide to join the Armed Forces or other technology and engineering fields. A group of 12th graders flooded Capt. Johri with questions even after the event and Capt. Johri was most welcoming and discussed many topics with them at length over lunch in the school cafeteria. This reaction from the students and teachers truly goes to show the massive impact Capt. Johri had on the school community as he inspired many to be risk-takers, hard workers and dream chasers.