Union Minister launches 4 initiatives at IIT Guwahati to promote drone technology in North East

“AXOMDroneports” will help support cargo drones delivering medical and emergency supplies to remote areas of the Northeast.  

Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Gen VK Singh (retd), launched the country’s first Centre for Excellence in Research on Drone/UAV Technology and Artificial Intelligence at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati on Tuesday, along with a skill development centre for drone/UAV operation and maintenance and nodal centre for overall administrative drone data management for the Northeast region.  

Besides, another initiative, “AXOMDroneports”, which was launched at the institute will help support cargo drones delivering medical and emergency supplies to remote areas of the Northeast. “These 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,” a statement from IIT Guwahati said.  

Addressing the inaugural event, Gen VK Singh (retd) said, “Having understood the remarkable potential of drones to transform every sector of the economy, the Government of India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has brought out the New Drone Rules in August 2021 and has followed it up with Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI) for manufacturers. Our focus is to develop India’s capabilities as an important and integral value multiplier to the global drone ecosystem.” 

He said, “Drones offer huge 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. I pay my regards to the people who are driving the growth of drones in India.” 

TG Sitharam, Director, IIT Guwahati, said, “IIT Guwahati has taken the lead and made 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. Utilising 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."

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