Indian Startup Wins IAF Deal to Train Mirage 2000 Pilots

The IAF has signed a ₹135 crore deal with Indian startup Threye Interactive for Mirage 2000 part task simulators. What these simulators do, and why startups in defence is a strong GD topic.

A startup will now help train India's Mirage 2000 pilots

Illustration: a part task simulator lets Mirage 2000 pilots practise radar, targeting and threat response on the ground

The Indian Air Force has signed a ₹135 crore (about $14 million) deal with Threye Interactive, an Indian startup. Threye will build part task simulators for the IAF's Mirage 2000 fighter jets.

In money terms, this is a small deal for the Air Force. But it is a big step in one way: the IAF is trusting a young Indian company to help train pilots of a frontline fighter. That is the real news.

Threye Interactive is a part of NewSpace Research & Technologies. NewSpace was founded by Sameer Joshi, a former IAF fighter pilot who flew the Mirage 2000 himself.

What is a part task simulator?

A normal flight simulator copies a full flight, from takeoff to landing. A part task simulator focuses on just one part of the pilot's job.

For example, a pilot can practise only these tasks, again and again:

using the radar
finding and identifying a target
choosing the right weapon
reacting when a threat appears

The pilot makes a mistake, sees it, and tries again. No jet leaves the ground. No fuel is burnt. No flying hours are used up.

Training in the air	Training in a part task simulator
Costs fuel, flying hours and wear on the jet	Costs almost nothing per try
Some dangerous situations are hard to set up	Any situation can be created on demand
One attempt per sortie	Repeat the same task many times
Mistakes can be costly	Mistakes are safe and easy to review

Why "large force" training matters

The IAF especially wants these simulators for large force combat training — when many aircraft fly a mission together.

In a big air operation, flying your own jet well is not enough. A pilot must also:

keep track of friendly fighters around them
react to enemy aircraft and ground defences
take quick decisions as the mission changes

Setting this up in real life needs dozens of aircraft and a lot of planning. In a simulator, it can be practised as often as needed.

About the Mirage 2000

The Mirage 2000 is a French-built delta-wing fighter made by Dassault. India brought it in during the 1980s, so it has served the IAF for about four decades.

It played a key role in the 1999 Kargil conflict.
It was used in the 2019 Balakot air strike.
It has been upgraded by Dassault Aviation, Thales and HAL to keep it modern.

From a video game to real training

Threye did not start with military training. Its story is a good example of how skills grow step by step.

2013 — It made a PC game, Operation Morning Glory, where players flew a Mirage 2000 on a made-up mission.
2019 — It built Indian Air Force: A Cut Above, the IAF's official mobile game. It helped young people learn about joining the Air Force.
2025 — It showed a fighter jet and an unmanned combat aircraft working together on one mission.
2026 — It won the contract to train real Mirage 2000 pilots.

The same team that once put the Mirage on a computer screen for fun is now helping pilots prepare for real combat.

Start small, keep building, and the big chance comes to those who are ready for it.

The bigger picture: startups and defence

This deal is part of a larger change. Indian startups are moving into defence work that was once done only by big government companies or foreign firms.

Threye's parent company, NewSpace, is also working on:

a collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) for the Indian Navy — a drone that flies along with piloted fighters
the Sheshnaag attack drone
other systems for the armed forces

This links to Atmanirbhar Bharat — India's push to make its own defence equipment instead of buying it from abroad.

Why this topic matters for your SSB

It is a ready-made GD example. Topics like "Role of startups in defence", "Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence" or "Technology in modern warfare" come up often. Most people speak in general terms. A real, recent example like this one makes your point stand out.

It is useful for AFSB candidates. If you are going for the Air Force, you should know the main aircraft in service and why training methods are changing. Knowing what a part task simulator is shows real interest, not just a wish to fly.

It teaches a simple idea: cheap practice makes costly practice better. Simulators do not replace real flying. They make each real flight count more, because the pilot arrives already practised.

Point you can make: "Defence startups bring speed and new ideas, but the armed forces must still test them strictly. The IAF giving Threye a training contract — not a weapons contract — is a smart way to build trust step by step."

Balance it: Startups are small and may struggle to deliver at large scale. Trust has to be earned with results, not given because a company is Indian.

Key terms

Part task simulator: A trainer that lets a pilot practise one part of the job, like radar use or weapon selection
Large force training: Training where many aircraft fly one mission together
Mirage 2000: French-built IAF fighter, used in Kargil (1999) and Balakot (2019)
CCA (Collaborative Combat Aircraft): An unmanned aircraft that flies and fights alongside a piloted fighter
Atmanirbhar Bharat: India's self-reliance push, including making defence equipment at home

In one line

A small deal with a big message: the IAF is ready to trust Indian startups with serious work, and India's defence future will be built by many more players than before.

Source: Livefist, 29 September 2026.

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