Business Development Manager

Nova Robotics; Maharashtra; On-site; INR 2,200,000 - 3,400,000; Full time

Job summary

Nova Robotics is hiring a Business Development Manager to own revenue across defence/government and commercial markets. You will build the commercial engine from the ground up, working directly with the founders. This role is based in Pune (Pirangut) with frequent travel across India.

You will identify opportunities, open doors, run the full sales cycle, and shape how we go to market in a fast-growing defence-tech startup. A strong hunter mindset and travel readiness are essential.

Qualifications

• 3–6 years of B2B sales or business development experience with defence/government exposure.
• Working knowledge of Indian defence procurement (GeM, DAP 2020, iDEX, tenders).
• Proven hunter: comfortable with cold outreach and long sales cycles.
• Strong written communication; draft proposals and bids.
• Willingness to travel extensively across India for meetings and events.
• Self-starter comfortable with ambiguity in an early-stage startup.
• Bonus: engineering/technical background and existing defence network.
• Experience selling hardware, capital equipment, or long-cycle technical products.
• Familiarity with DGCA drone regulations and Indian UAV ecosystem.

Responsibilities

• Own revenue generation across defence/government and commercial markets; build the engine from ground up.
• Identify opportunities, open doors, run full sales cycle, and shape go-to-market.
• Develop relationships with procurement officers and defence liaison channels.
• Coordinate field trials, evaluations, and demonstrations with end users.
• Represent the company at defence expos and events (Aero India, DefExpo).
• Build pipeline in industrial surveillance, infrastructure, mining, agriculture, and logistics.
• Generate leads via outbound outreach, events, and partnerships; run pilots.
• Negotiate and close commercial contracts; maintain CRM and sales pipeline.
• Collaborate with engineering to translate requirements into proposals; inform pricing.

Skills

B2B sales

Defence government sales

Hunter mentality

Written communication

Travel willingness

Self-starter

Engineering background

Defence procurement network

Hardware/Capital equipment

DGCA drone regulations

Job description

About The Role

We are hiring a Business Development Manager to own revenue generation across our defence/government and commercial markets. This is our first dedicated sales hire — you will build the commercial engine from the ground up, working directly with the founders. This is not a routine sales job — it's a builder role. You'll identify opportunities, open doors, run the full sales cycle, and shape how we go to market. The role is based in Pune (Pirangut), with frequent travel across India.

What You’ll Do

• Defence & Government
• Identify and pursue opportunities with the Indian Armed Forces, paramilitary forces, state police, and defence PSUs
• Track and respond to RFIs, RFPs, and tenders on GeM and defence procurement portals; drive participation in iDEX, ADITI, and Make-in-India defence programs
• Build and maintain relationships with procurement officers, user directorates, and defence liaison channels
• Coordinate field trials, user evaluations, and demonstrations with end users
• Represent the company at defence expos and events (Aero India, DefExpo, etc.)
• Commercial
• Build a pipeline in commercial segments: industrial surveillance, infrastructure inspection, mining, agriculture, and cargo/logistics delivery
• Generate leads through outbound outreach, industry events, and partnerships
• Run product demos and pilot programs with enterprise customers
• Negotiate and close commercial contracts
• Cross-cutting
• Maintain a disciplined CRM and sales pipeline; report progress to founders weekly
• Gather market and competitor intelligence to inform product and pricing decisions
• Work closely with the engineering team to translate customer requirements into proposals
• Help define sales collateral, pricing structures, and go-to-market strategy

What We’re Looking For

• 3–6 years of B2B sales or business development experience, with at least some exposure to defence/government sales (defence OEM, DPSU, defence-tech startup, or govt tendering)
• Working knowledge of Indian defence procurement — GeM, DAP 2020, iDEX, or tender processes (deep expertise not required; willingness to master it is)
• Proven ability to hunt: comfortable with cold outreach, long sales cycles, and building relationships from zero
• Strong written communication — you will draft proposals, tender responses, and technical bids
• Willingness to travel extensively across India for meetings, trials, and expos
• Self-starter comfortable with the ambiguity of an early-stage startup — no playbook, no support team
• Bonus points for
• Engineering or technical background (helps sell complex UAV systems credibly)
• Existing network in defence procurement or the drone/aerospace industry
• Experience selling hardware, capital equipment, or long-cycle technical products
• Familiarity with DGCA drone regulations and the Indian UAV ecosystem

What You Get

• Ground-floor role at a defence-tech startup with founder-level visibility and ownership
• Uncapped performance incentives tied directly to revenue you generate
• A clear path to leading the sales function as the company scales
• The chance to sell genuinely cutting-edge, made-in-India autonomous systems