IIT Bombay to Lead Pushpak National Mission on Drone Technology
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Mission Name | Pushpak - National Mission on Drone Technology |
| Leading Institute | IIT Bombay |
| Launching Ministry | Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) |
| Total Grant-in-Aid | Rs 82.7 crore |
| Participating Institutes | IIT Bombay, VJTI Mumbai, CDAC-Thiruvananthapuram, CDAC-Bengaluru, IIT-Gandhinagar, IISER-Bhopal, Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education (Tamil Nadu) |
| Focus Areas | - Hybrid drones, indigenous processors, and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for disaster management, coastal monitoring, and specialised uses (IIT Bombay). |
| - Secure embedded systems, drone communication security, drone security lab, and forensic unit to track flight patterns, detect threats, and cybersecurity solutions (VJTI Mumbai). | |
| Mission Objectives | - Develop next-gen drone technologies |
| - Promote indigenous manufacturing and reduce reliance on foreign technologies. | |
| - Enhance national security and create employment opportunities in the drone sector. | |
| - Advance capabilities in AI integration, UAV traffic management, and R&D. | |
| Strategic Vision | - Foster self-reliance in drone technology through R&D, industry partnerships, and real-world testing. |
| - Accelerate technology transfer from research labs to the market. | |
| Support Mechanisms | - Incubation support for drone-based startups. |
| - Advanced training opportunities for students and researchers in drone-related fields. | |
| Oversight Body | National Steering Committee (NSC) comprising senior government officials and domain experts. |