IIT Kanpur and DRDO have collaborated to establish the DIA Centre of Excellence, aimed at advancing research in next-gen defense technology.
IIT Kanpur has inaugurated the DRDO-Industry-Academia Centre of Excellence in collaboration with the Defence Research and Development Organisation.
The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur) has collaborated with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to set up a DRDO-Industry-Academia Centre of Excellence (DIA CoE) on its campus, aimed at conducting interdisciplinary research in advanced defence technologies.
The institution’s press release announced that the new initiative aligns with the DIA Centres of Excellence established by the DRDO in prominent academic institutions nationwide. This initiative aims to create an ecosystem that fosters technological development within academia, leveraging the expertise of seasoned faculty and talented scholars, alongside the contributions of various DRDO laboratory scientists.
As per the release, the new center will spearhead focused research initially in identified research and development verticals. These include:
- Printing on Flexible Substrates to build devices and systems based on thin films for strategic applications.
- Advanced Nanomaterials to provide a fundamental contribution to material selection and design.
- Accelerated Material Design and Development to reduce the number of actual trial experiments while reaching optimal solutions via high throughput experiments.
- High Energy Materials to focus on the modelling of high-performance explosives and performance prediction of metalized explosives.
- Bio-engineering to develop technologies for applications ranging from sensing hazardous agents to wound healing.
Mr. Sanjay Tandon, previously the director of the Institute of Technology Management in Mussoorie, currently holds the position of Director of the DIA Centre of Excellence at IIT Kanpur, where he manages strategic initiatives and collaborative efforts.
Significantly, the DRDO will finance projects and establish essential technical facilities and contemporary infrastructure necessary to facilitate and enhance R&D programs within specified domains.
The establishment of the DRDO-Industry-Academia Centre of Excellence (DIA CoE) at IIT Kanpur commenced in 2022 with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the Def-Expo-2022 in Gandhinagar.
The DRDO-Industry-Academia Centre of Excellence (DIA CoE) at IIT Kanpur was inaugurated by Dr. Samir V Kamat, Secretary of the Department of Defence R&D and Chairman of DRDO, alongside Prof. Manindra Agarwal, Director of IIT Kanpur. The ceremony was attended by Dr. Subrata Rakshit, DS & Director General (Technology Management), Prof. Tarun Gupta, Dean of R&D at IIT Kanpur, among other esteemed guests.
The gathering also included research coordinators from IIT Kanpur, senior scientists from DRDO Labs, and faculty members from IIT Kanpur.
Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Director of IIT Kanpur, highlighted the significance of collaborative efforts and emphasized that the advancement of technology in the defense sector is crucial for achieving true self-reliance in India.
To achieve this goal, Prof Agarwal said that the DRDO, Academia, and Industry must join hands together.
“The creation of Industry-Academia Centres of Excellence by the DRDO is a fitting move forward. IIT Kanpur, with its robust R&D capabilities and advanced facilities in flexible electronics, nanomaterials, materials science, engineering, high energy, and bioengineering, is ideally positioned to contribute significantly to this joint initiative,” he stated.
Dr. Samir V Kamat, Secretary of the Department of Defence R&D and Chairman of DRDO, stated that the Centre is committed to the long-term indigenization of strategic technologies. This initiative aims to make the defence sector self-reliant and sustainable, significantly speeding up the development of new materials for advanced defence systems, a process that could have taken 10-15 years.
Dr. Subrata Rakshit emphasized that the DIA Centres of Excellence will function as hubs for research and development, catering to the future demands of Defence. He stated, “They are designed to harmonize the expertise of DRDO scientists, the inherent research capabilities of our leading academic institutions, and the industry’s ambition to commercialize nascent indigenous defence technologies. The commencement and the inaugural governing council meeting signify a significant step forward in this endeavor.”
Dr. Kamat stated, “DRDO and IIT Kanpur will engage in joint research within specific technological areas to meet the long-term requirements of defense.”
Prof. Tarun Gupta emphasized that over the years, IIT Kanpur has become a premier institution in the development, translation, and transfer of technology to industry and government bodies.
He stated that the inauguration of the DIA Centre of Excellence at IIT Kanpur is a positive move, as it will promote significant collaboration with defense laboratories across the nation and empower the institution to produce strategically important tools and devices.
Dr. N Ranjana, Director of DFTM at DRDO, stressed that long-term research in defense technology is not about immediate solutions, but rather about laying the groundwork for future security.