Raghu Vamsi Group, a Hyderabad-based aerospace and defence manufacturing company, has appointed Dr S K Jha as Chief Executive Officer of its Advanced Materials Division. He will lead the division’s business operations and oversee the development of the Group’s integrated nickel-based superalloy manufacturing facility in Telangana.
Dr Jha brings more than three decades of experience in metallurgy, advanced materials, technology development and strategic manufacturing. He previously served as Chairman and Managing Director of Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI), where he worked on manufacturing expansion, technology development, product diversification and the indigenisation of strategic materials.
During his tenure at MIDHANI, Dr Jha was associated with the establishment of a Wide Plate Mill, the commissioning of an 8-tonne Vacuum Induction Melting Furnace and the installation of a 6,000-tonne Isothermal Forge Press. His work also included the development of lattice tubes for nuclear power plants and a high-pressure compressor disc for the Jaguar military aircraft.
His experience covers aerospace, defence, space and nuclear programmes, including aero-engine projects, PSLV, GSLV-MkIII, Chandrayaan and Gaganyaan. He has also worked on nickel-based superalloys for nuclear applications. In his advisory and consultancy work, he prepared a detailed project report for a high-end alloys project serving aerospace, defence, space and nuclear sectors and advised organisations in the special steel and advanced materials industry.
The appointment comes as Raghu Vamsi Group expands its advanced materials operations. Announced at the Farnborough International Airshow 2026, the proposed facility in Telangana will integrate vacuum melting, forging, heat treatment, vacuum casting, powder metallurgy and precision forming. Its planned product range includes round bars, wires, forgings, castings, tungsten carbide powders and other specialised materials. Commercial production is expected to begin in January 2028.
Nickel-based superalloys are used in aero engines, defence systems, spacecraft, gas turbines and nuclear power equipment. The facility is intended to strengthen domestic manufacturing capabilities and reduce India’s dependence on imports for specialised materials.
Vamsi Vikas Ganesula, Founder and Managing Director of Raghu Vamsi Group, said Dr Jha’s experience in strategic materials and industrial manufacturing would support the Group’s plans to expand its advanced materials business. Dr Jha said India had an opportunity to build greater self-reliance in materials required for aerospace, defence and space applications. He added that he would focus on developing products to international standards and strengthening domestic capabilities.
Raghu Vamsi Group holds AS9100D and NADCAP certifications and supplies customers in aerospace, defence, energy and medical sectors. The Group operates manufacturing facilities in Hyderabad, has entities in the United Kingdom and the United States, and is commissioning an integrated campus near Hyderabad’s international airport. The Group’s business segments include Advanced Materials, Precision OEM Manufacturing, Mission Systems and Propulsion, Deep Tech and Autonomous Systems, and Aircraft Systems and MRO.
