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Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) through its ‘National Programme on Mini-Micro Unmanned Air Vehicle’ has disbursed Rs 40 crore in the last one year to various research labs and engineering colleges.
“The major chunk of the disbursal has gone to 60 projects initiated by engineering colleges spread across the country,” Dr K Tamilmani, DG (Aero), DRDO told Business Line.
“This month DRDO will be conducting a review of all the projects. The thinking in DRDO is that construction of less than 100 kg Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) for civil application be reserved to research institutes and engineering colleges,” he added.
DRDO is planning to encourage research institutes and engineering colleges to partner with private companies to co-develop UAVs. The successful models are to be commercially made available.
Talking about defence application of UAVs, Dr Tamilmani said DRDO’s ADA have already successfully test-flown the Rustom UAV and work is on for naval version. “We have the expertise to develop UAVs and this is for the first-time that all the defence institutions are coming together to develop a rotary UAV. Developing a rotary UAV is a challenging task, especially for India Navy. The use and application is different. Given the fact that UAV has to land on a moving ships.”
Earlier, speaking at a seminar on ‘2nd national UAV Technologies’ organised by Rotary Club of Bangalore and Jain University, Dr Tamilmani said “The DRDO’s thrust is to encourage all indigenous companies to manufacture parts and sub-systems, which go into the making of UAVs.”
“At present engines and payloads for manufacture of UAVs are being imported,” he added.
Encouraging the engineering students to utilise laboratories and other scientific facilities of NAL, he said “Scientists at NAL are there for all of you to experiment and test your ideas.”
Ram Kumarr Seshu, president Rotary Club of Bangalore, said today’s seminar and air show is to encourage and foster young minds from rural background to interact and with flyers of UAVs.
Rotary Club has been partnering with various companies for over a decade. “In the one last decade, we have partnered with TTK, Indo-American Hybrid Seeds, ICICI and now State Bank of India to promote community-based programmes,” said Kumarr Seshu.
Under TEACH (a Rotary India Literacy Mission) to wipe out illiteracy in the country, Rotary Club has taken up construction of four primary and middle schools including toilet blocks in Malur taluk in Kolar district. “So far have spent around Rs 1 crore and we plan to spend Rs 2 crore this calendar year,” said Kumarr Seshu.
As a support to TEACH initiative, Kumarr Seshu said “Rotary Club of Bangalore has also taken up ‘Learning in Comfort’ to distribute desks for primary class schools. So far 1,000 desks have been distributed. Today in Kanakapura we distributed 125 desks.
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