Olee.space nominated as DCPP partner for ₹70 crore Advanced Photonics Development Programme

Olee.space, an Indian advanced photonics and defence technology company, has been nominated as the Development-cum-Production Partner (DCPP) for a strategic ₹70 crore (around US$7.4 million) Advanced Photonics Development Programme of the Government of India.

The 24-month programme will cover research, technology development, engineering, fabrication, system integration, testing, validation and production readiness. The programme will follow a milestone-based development and acceptance process, providing a structured pathway from technology development to production readiness.

For Olee.space, the nomination marks an important step in its move from advanced photonics research and development towards the engineering, integration and production of strategic optical systems. The company said the programme also highlights the growing role of photonics in communications, aerospace, industrial systems, advanced manufacturing and strategic technology infrastructure.

“We believe the core photonics is far more exciting and to be discovered. We have struck the first rock, we would be the one mining it economically. The applications are endless, we have presented 15 already and we would build further in shared photonics architecture.” said James Solomon, CEO, Olee.space.

What does Olee.space do? 

Olee.space is an advanced photonics company building globally competitive optical systems and photonic technologies from India.

According to the company's release, India is entering a new phase where capabilities in optical sources, precision optics, photonic architectures, system engineering and scalable manufacturing are expected to play a larger role in technological competitiveness. These capabilities are expected to strengthen India’s position in advanced photonics.

The ₹70 crore programme is aimed at strengthening these capabilities in India while helping build the engineering, manufacturing and supply-chain base needed to participate in global photonics markets. It brings together stages of development, from research and fabrication to testing, validation and production readiness.

For Olee.space, the nomination is a milestone in its long-term plan to develop globally competitive photonic technologies from India. The company is building optical systems and photonic technologies for advanced and strategic applications, with an emphasis on developing shared photonics architecture.

The nomination comes as photonics gains importance across Indian industries. Olee.space said it has already presented 15 applications and plans to build further on its shared photonics architecture as it develops its technology portfolio.

According to Tracxn, Olee.space has raised $3.11 million (around ₹26.6 crore) across three funding rounds, with its latest seed round raising $3 million in July 2025.

The company’s post-money valuation stood at ₹60.1 crore ($7.02 million) as of July 3, 2025, with investors including SIDBI, Warmup Ventures, Bitexco, Rockstud Capital and IIMA Ventures.