India Launches NIDAR Challenge to Boost Drone Innovation & Research
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in partnership with the Drone Federation of India (DFI), has launched the National Innovation Challenge for Drone Application and Research (NIDAR) under the SwaYaan initiative. This program aims to enhance India’s drone ecosystem by encouraging innovation, research, and skill development among students and researchers.
NIDAR was inaugurated by S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, who highlighted the transformative role of drones in sectors like agriculture, disaster management, healthcare, logistics, and infrastructure. He emphasized the need to scale up the NIDAR initiative to support India’s vision of becoming a global drone hub by 2030. Prof. T. G. Sitharam, Chairman, AICTE, urged engineering institutions to participate actively and collaborate with industries to drive drone technology advancements.
The challenge focuses on two critical areas:
- Disaster Management (Scout & Deliver Drones): Developing autonomous drones for search-and-rescue operations, communication, and emergency delivery in disaster-affected regions.
- Precision Agriculture (Scan & Spray Drones): Enhancing crop productivity through AI-driven monitoring and targeted spraying of nutrients and pesticides.
Over 100 student teams from colleges and universities across India will compete to develop innovative drone solutions. Participants will benefit from a total prize pool of ₹40 lakh, startup incubation support, cloud credits, software resources, and internship opportunities with India’s top drone companies.
The Drone Federation of India (DFI), which represents over 550 drone companies and 5,500 drone pilots, will provide mentorship and industry exposure to participants. The competition will be conducted in multiple phases, including technology presentation, business case evaluation, and final drone operations, ensuring a thorough assessment of technical and entrepreneurial skills.
About the SwaYaan Initiative
SwaYaan, launched by MeitY in 2022, focuses on human resource development in drone technology. It aims to train 42,560 participants through a network of 30 premier institutions, including IITs, NITs, IISc, IIITs, CDAC, and NIELIT. The program covers key areas such as drone electronics, aeromechanics, navigation algorithms, and drone applications. So far, over 14,000 individuals have received training, and IIT Kanpur has introduced an M.Tech. in UAS Engineering under the initiative.
The launch of NIDAR is a major step toward building a self-reliant drone industry in India. It will empower students, researchers, and startups to develop cutting-edge drone solutions for real-world challenges.
For details and registration, visit NIDAR or SwaYaan.
Source: PIB
