Over the past two decades, representatives from major aerospace players such as Airbus, Boeing, Safran, Honeywell, Collins Aerospace, UTAS, SAAB, and GKN have consistently made their way to Belagavi, a city in northwestern Karnataka. Their destination? Aequs, a manufacturer of wings, fuselage components, pylons, and other critical parts for both civil and military aircraft.
At the heart of this quiet transformation is Aravind Melligeri, a low-profile yet relentless entrepreneur who spends over 200 days a year traveling between Houston, Belagavi, Bengaluru, Cholet (France), and other parts of Europe, steering his manufacturing vision forward.
Belagavi, or Belgaum as it’s still called by many, usually appears in national headlines due to long-standing language disputes between Karnataka and Maharashtra. In a show of assertion, Karnataka has designated it the state’s second capital and conducts an annual Assembly session here. Geographically, Belagavi is nearly equidistant (about 500 km) from Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Hyderabad, and has historically thrived on agriculture and trade, with a modest industrial presence. In recent years, local manufacturing has begun receiving a governmental push.
Melligeri, ever comfortable wherever he lands, is quick to settle in. On a breezy day in Bengaluru, he meets us at The Oberoi and immediately suggests lunch at Rim Naam, the Thai restaurant he’s especially fond of. His enthusiasm shows as he recommends Tom Yum, Som Tam, and jasmine rice with spicy green curry, dishes he clearly relishes. “Thai food just speaks to me,” he grins.
During this rare pause, Melligeri reflects on his path , from a humble start at a government school in Hubbali, raised by a determined single mother after losing his father at age one. Eating out was a rare event, and even simple treats like a paper dosa were special. Education was vital, and while the family expected him to pursue conventional careers like medicine or law, he had other ideas. “I switched to statistics in the 11th and told my mother I wanted to be an engineer. She flipped and switched me back to biology,” he laughs. But two years later, she gave in, always reminding him to have a Plan B.
He graduated from NIT Surathkal with the top job offer of his batch, ₹20,000 per month at TISCO (now Tata Steel). However, he chose to accept an offer from Penn State University in the U.S., complete with an assistantship, laying the foundation for Aequs.
Lessons from Ford
After Penn State, Melligeri worked with a boutique engineering services firm that consulted for Ford. His time there left a deep impression, precision, accountability, and top-notch systems. In 1997, taking a leap few would dare at the time, Melligeri co-founded QuEST Global with Ajit Prabhu. With $25,000 in credit card debt and family loans, the duo drew a modest salary while building the firm.
By 2001, QuEST had added manufacturing services in both India and the U.S., but Melligeri soon realized manufacturing required its own scale and capital approach. This led to a strategic spin-off and eventually to the creation of Aequs, a vertically integrated precision manufacturing firm for the aerospace sector.
Why Belagavi?
Rather than setting up in an industrial metro, Melligeri made the unconventional choice of Belagavi, establishing India’s first notified precision-engineering SEZ. “Everyone thought I was crazy. No talent pool, not Bengaluru… But I knew that in India, I could go big. And in Belagavi, I could control the whole ecosystem,” he says.
His connection to Belagavi runs deeper than business; his wife, Akkamahadevi (Mai Melligeri), hails from the city, and the couple has three children: a daughter, Megha, and twin sons, Akhil and Nikhil.
Today, the Aequs SEZ spans over 250 acres and includes multiple units and global partnerships. Every step of aerospace part production, from forging to surface treatment and assembly, is handled on-site. “We deliver as if we’re local to the client. No compromise on quality or timelines,” he explains. The company’s first order from Airbus brought in $200,000 annually. Now, that figure has grown to tens of millions.
Manufacturing Visionary
For Melligeri, who championed Indian manufacturing long before it was trendy, the current ‘Make in India’ wave is validation. “Back then, no one talked of India in aerospace. Now, we’re not just in the race , we’re building the track,” he says. In 2023, he helped establish the Aerospace Industry Association (AIA) to advocate for long-term national goals, including developing an Indian aircraft. “We need a 30-year plan. India will account for 10% of global aircraft procurement. That’s huge.”
Builder Over Boss
Melligeri doesn’t consider himself a traditional manager. “I’m an entrepreneur. I create opportunities. I’ll take risks. But those working with me must think like owners,” he says. He promotes “intrapreneurship” and values blunt honesty: “Don’t sugarcoat it. I just want the truth.”
Beyond Aerospace
While aerospace remains Aequs’ core, the company has diversified into consumer electronics, toys, and infrastructure. The toy cluster in Koppal is now among India’s largest. “We built a team of nearly 1,000 in a year,” he says. He shrugs off the challenge, saying, “Headache is part of life.”
Aequs has surpassed ₹1,000 crore in revenue and is eyeing a public offering. “Going public is part of the natural journey,” says Melligeri, adding that his focus isn’t on exits but on building sustainable enterprises.
“What drives me is simple: I understand this space, the market, the customers, and I can solve these problems better than anyone else.”
Despite spending most of the year in motion, across continents, factories, and meetings, Melligeri stays grounded. He listens to Lata Mangeshkar and A.R. Rahman during flights, reads instead of streaming, and orders his meals with the same precision that defines his business.
While Aequs has placed Belagavi firmly on the global aerospace map, Melligeri’s bigger hope is that the ecosystem he’s created will inspire a broader manufacturing revolution. He’s already taken flight, and is waiting for others to follow.
