India launches its first centre for research on drone tech in IIT-Guwahati

“Drones offer tremendous benefits to almost all sectors of the economy. They can be significant creators of employment and economic growth due to their reach, versatility, and ease of use, especially in India's remote and inaccessible areas. It’s encouraging to see the IITs of our country take some timely initiatives in this direction," Union Minister V K Sigh said.

Guwahati: The Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG) have got the country's first Centre for Excellence in Research on Drone/UAV Technology and Artificial Intelligence. Union Minister of State Civil Aviation, Gen VK Singh (Rtd) launched the Centre recently and said that this will be the Nodal Center for overall administrative Drone Data management for the North East region which will be used to support cargo drones delivering urgent medical emergency supplies and other precious supplies to remote areas of the North East.

This 'Droneport' was among the four initiatives inaugurated by the Union Minister at IIT Guwahati to promote the development and adoption of drone technology in the North-Eastern Region. This program was jointly organised by IIT Guwahati and FICCI. It is believed that the initiatives will address various aspects of the development and implementation of drone technology such as technological advancements, training, legal aspects, administrative management, logistics, and adoption for the benefit of the entire region and the country.

“I assure you that the Government will leave no stone unturned. Having understood the remarkable potential of drones to transform every sector of the economy, the Government of India has brought out the New Drone Rules in August 2021 and has followed it up with a Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI) Scheme for manufacturers. Our focus is to develop India’s capabilities as an important and integral value multiplier to the global drone ecosystem,” Singh said.

“Drones offer tremendous benefits to almost all sectors of the economy. They can be significant creators of employment and economic growth due to their reach, versatility, and ease of use, especially in India's remote and inaccessible areas. It’s encouraging to see the IITs of our country take some timely initiatives in this direction," he added.

T.G. Sitharam, Director, IIT Guwahati said that the institution will share its research expertise, impart skill development, set up a droneport and provide all administrative support and fulfil the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to realize the potential of India to be a global drone hub by 2030.

“IIT Guwahati has taken the lead and made a significant contribution in self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat) in several sectors and has been focusing on various technology-based development projects for the benefit of the region. Utilizing the salient features which Drone assisted technology offers, the remote and difficult terrains in the entire northeast region can be brought within reach during any emergency," he added.

The IIT Guwahati Centre for Excellence for Drones/UAV and Artificial Intelligence addresses a broad spectrum of technical and social concerns related to drone technology. It has been established with the vision to design and develop the most advanced indigenous drones for solving the northeast region’s most persistent problems and contributing to the nation's technological achievements.

Along with the Technology Incubation Hub where research on underwater drones is also being carried out, this centre will utilize the diverse expertise available across the institute to provide thrust in the development of drones/UAVs, software platforms, data collation and analysis as well as creating broad application base.

Apart from providing technical training to operate the drones, the centre will also be responsible for the training of rules and regulations. This will create a career opportunity for the youth of the regions and help the adoption of drone technology for the benefit of common people living in difficult terrain.