Kanpur, 18 November (HS). The establishment of advanced UAS and communications testing facilities at the Technology Park Foundation is an important step in strengthening India’s defense testing infrastructure. These things were said by Professor Manindra Aggarwal, Director of Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur on Monday.
He informed that this collaboration with key industry partners under the Defense Testing Infrastructure Scheme reflects IIT Kanpur’s role in enabling high-quality, accessible testing facilities that support both academic research and defense industry development. I am confident that this initiative will play an important role in contributing to the vision of a self-reliant India by advancing technological advancements and driving self-reliance in defense innovation.
Technology Park Foundation IIT in-charge Prof. Amarendra Singh said that this is an important opportunity for collaboration between IIT Kanpur and DTIS. Of the three defense verticals allotted to the UP Defense Industrial Corridor by the Defense Ministry, two are being set up at IIT Kanpur. This facility is beneficial for both industry and academia. On one hand, our faculty and students will have access to state-of-the-art machines and high-end equipment for research. On the other hand, MSMEs using this facility will get the opportunity to leverage the technical expertise of IIT Kanpur to solve their R&D challenges.
He informed that in February 2018, the Prime Minister announced the establishment of two defense corridors in India. Tamil Nadu Defense Industrial Corridor and Uttar Pradesh Defense Industrial Corridor. As part of the ongoing efforts to strengthen the indigenous defense ecosystem, the Defense Ministry subsequently launched the Defense Testing Infrastructure Scheme to set up a Central Defense Testing Facility.
On this occasion, Chief General Manager, Uttar Pradesh Defense Industrial Corridor, Colonel Sanjay Singh said that research and development and testing are among the most resource-intensive activities in the defense industry. To meet these requirements, the Defense Ministry has approved the establishment of advanced test facilities, two of which will be located at the Kanpur Defense Node. These test centers are also envisaged to be developed as certification centers in the future, a role currently exclusive to defense agencies.”
Giving the above information, Rucha Khedekar, media member of IIT Kanpur, said that on Monday, IIT Kanpur Research and Technology Park Foundation has signed agreements with two special purpose vehicles – UAS Testing Foundation and Communication (Defense) Testing Foundation. So that state-of-the-art defense testing infrastructure can be established in the Technology Park Foundation. These facilities will focus on two important areas of defence, Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and communication systems.