A new collaborative push for cutting-edge defence technologies is underway as the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jodhpur and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) establish the DRDO-Industry-Academia Center of Excellence (DIA-CoE). This initiative will drive research across multiple disciplines to bolster India's defence capabilities.
The Center will tackle diverse projects in Desert Warfare Technologies, Futuristic Omni Mobility Systems, and Artificial Intelligence for Information and Wargaming Technologies. Initial projects include:
- Multi-agent Amphibious Quadcopter System: Versatile drones for land and water surveillance.
- Bioinspired Flapping Wing Model: Improving aerial vehicles by mimicking bird flight.
- AIOT Based Water Monitoring Technologies: AI-powered water resource management.
- Smart Apparel for Desert Warfare: Advanced clothing for soldiers in extreme environments.
Highlighting the vision, Dr. Samir V. Kamat, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman, DRDO stated, "We aim to utilise DIA-CoE as a means for building an ecosystem comprising DRDO labs, academia, and industry. It is our wish that in the years to come, these Centers of Excellence will be like the hubs in the United States where MIT Caltech, Stanford played a big role in making the US a superpower in technology."
Prof. Santanu Chaudhury, Director, IIT Jodhpur, emphasized the practical focus: "Centres like these should really evolve into hubs of R&D, addressing the defence capability needs of our country. Research is profoundly fundamental to have new technologies invented. However, it must not end with invention alone; the entire journey towards innovation, product development, and implementation is equally imperative. This holistic approach is exceptionally critical, underscoring the unique role of this centre."
The DIA-CoE was formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on October 6, 2022. It marks a concerted effort to drive directed research for meeting India's future defence needs.
