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The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in collaboration with the Drone Federation India (DFI), launched NIDAR--the National Innovation Challenge for Drone Application and Research--under the SwaYaan initiative.
The launch event was held at Electronics Niketan, MeitY, in the presence of government officials, industry experts, and students nationwide through video conferencing, a release added. The challenge was formally inaugurated by S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY; Prof T G Sitharam, Chairman, AICTE; and Smit Shah, President, Drone Federation India (DFI), who unveiled the concept video, launched the competition website (https://nidar.org.in), and released the NIDAR Poster and Official Rulebook. NIDAR is being organised under MeitY's SwaYaan Initiative, which aims to train as many professionals as possible in the UAS sector by 2027 through 1500+ nationwide activities encompassing five major technical areas, the release added. This initiative is part of the Government of India's vision to make India a global drone hub by 2030. The Drone Federation India (DFI), a premier industry body representing 550+ drone companies and 5500+ drone pilots nationwide, will support participating students by providing mentorship and industry exposure. Over 100 student teams from higher education colleges and technical institutions are expected to participate in this competition, where teams wil build two collaborative autonomous drones for solving object detection and autonomous delivery. This year's problem statements are focused on disaster management for building "scout & delivery drones" and precision agriculture for building "scan & spray drones." This year, NIDAR offers a total prize pool of Rs 40 lakhs in cash prizes and opportunities for students to participate in startup incubation programs, obtain cloud credits, and receive internship opportunities to work in India's best drone companies. During the launch, Shri Krishnan emphasized the pivotal role of drones in transforming various sectors such as agriculture, disaster management, logistics, healthcare, and infrastructure and the need for taking the NIDAR program at a larger scale to contribute to India's vision of becoming a global drone hub by 2030. Smit Shah, president of DFI, said that India's drone ecosystem is rapidly evolving, with homegrown innovations transforming industries and addressing real-world challenges. He added, the recent floods in Vijayawada highlighted the potential of drones as they were used to deliver essential supplies to stranded communities, demonstrating their life-saving applications. Shah stated that the initiatives like the Namo Drone Didi scheme are empowering rural women entrepreneurs by providing them with drone training and business opportunities, further strengthening India's drone ecosystem. "Through NIDAR, we aim to inspire and equip young innovators with the skills, mentorship, and industry exposure necessary to drive the next wave of drone advancements. This initiative will foster indigenous drone technology development and create a strong talent pipeline for India's aerospace and defense sectors," said Smit Shah, president, DFI. (ANI)
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