In a significant development aimed at forging strategic partnerships, Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi, PVSM, AVSM, Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS), along with Additional Director General Major General C.S. Mann and other senior army officials, paid a visit to the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur). The esteemed visitors were greeted by Professor Manindra Agrawal, Director of IIT Kanpur, and Professor Kantesh Balani, Faculty in charge of the Army Cell at IIT Kanpur.
The visit fostered extensive discussions between the army officials and faculty members of IIT Kanpur, who specialize in defense-related fields, with a focus on identifying opportunities for collaboration to create specialized technological solutions for the Indian Army. The professors from the institute highlighted IIT Kanpur's research expertise by presenting an overview of the ongoing defense projects being conducted at the institution.
Mr. Sanjay Tandon, the Director of the DRDO Industry Academia Centre of Excellence at IIT Kanpur, provided further details on the CoE's mission to create an environment conducive to targeted research and cooperation in cutting-edge technology fields related to defense and security. This emphasized the institution's dedication to promoting collaborations between industry and academia in crucial sectors.
The faculty members demonstrated a range of innovative technologies to the Army officers, including a Substation Inspection Robot, a precision guidance kit generator, solutions for high-altitude logistics and eVTOL, Quadruped and Rotary Robots, and Kamikaze drones. Additionally, three defence-technology startups nurtured at IIT Kanpur showcased remarkable innovations, underlining the institute's role as a focal point for entrepreneurship and technology dissemination. Furthermore, the Indian Army team toured the C3i Hub and FlexE Center at IIT Kanpur. This visit further solidified IIT Kanpur's status as a leading institution actively contributing to the nation's defense and security endeavors through advanced research and development efforts.