This Engineer-Physicist duo builds India’s first private “Star Wars” Laser weapon called H.A.RA. in their defence startup, Carbine Systems

India-based aerospace and defence startup Carbine Systems has announced the successful indoor testing of its first directed-energy weapon (DEW) prototype, H.A.R.A. Mk 1, short for Hyper Amplification Radiant Array.

This is a major milestone in India’s private deep-tech landscape, where capabilities once limited to state-run programs are now being developed in-house and with intent.

What is H.A.R.A.?

H.A.R.A. Mk 1 is a 10 kW-class high-energy laser prototype, designed for engagements in the 1–2 km range. It is not a product launch, nor a battlefield-ready system.

H.A.R.A. is not an acronym. In Sanskrit, Hara (हर) means the remover, absorber, or destroyer. It is a name traditionally associated with Lord Shiva, the force of destruction that restores balance and allows renewal. The symbolism is subtle, but unmistakable: controlled destruction, wielded with discipline.

About Carbine Systems

Founded in 2023 by Engineer-Physicist duo Girish Joshi and Kedar Joshi in Belagavi, Karnataka, Carbine Systems is a manufacturing and engineering solutions company dedicated to delivering high-precision products and high-performance systems for today’s industrial, automotive, aerospace, and technology sectors.

Girish and Kedar are brothers who built India’s first privately developed directed-energy weapon prototype that represents an early technical waypoint, built to explore scalable laser architectures and validate the translation of long-running research into working hardware.

According to Carbine Systems, the indoor tests conducted in the first week of 2026 focused on validating core assumptions around beam control, stability, thermal management, and system-level integration under tightly controlled conditions.

Multiple target objects were engaged in static tests, not as a public demonstration, but as internal confirmation that the architecture performs as intended.

“We have successfully completed controlled indoor testing of H.A.R.A. Mk 1—our first directed-energy weapon prototype,” the company stated. “This milestone represents a transition from long-running research and internal experimentation into a tangible, working system, built entirely in-house.”

The company began as an advanced manufacturing and aerospace & defence engineering firm, focused on high-energy laser–based additive manufacturing.

Developing India’s first private “Star Wars” Laser weapon

Years spent mastering laser–matter interaction at extreme conditions, developing defect-free parts, controlled microstructures, and thermally resilient components forced deep engagement with electro-optics, sensing, control systems, and thermal handling. Over time, that technical stack outgrew manufacturing alone.

H.A.R.A. Mk 1 is the result: manufacturing-grade laser science applied to weapon-class energy systems.

Notably, Carbine Systems has chosen not to release beam-quality plots, engagement footage, or performance envelopes. In directed-energy development, the company argues, restraint is a feature, not a flaw. The priorities are repeatability, scalability, and control, not visibility.

Equally significant is how the system was built. H.A.R.A. Mk 1 was developed without external institutional or venture funding, relying solely on internal capability and disciplined execution.

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