The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) has partnered with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to establish a DRDO-Industry-Academia Centre of Excellence (DIA CoE) on its campus. This centre aims to facilitate interdisciplinary research in next-generation defence technologies. The DIA CoEs, set up by DRDO in key academic institutions across India, are designed to foster technology development within an academic setting, leveraging the expertise of experienced faculty, talented scholars, and DRDO scientists.
The newly established centre at IIT Kanpur will focus on specific research and development areas, driving forward innovation in defence technology. Sanjay Tandon, former director of the Institute of Technology Management at Mussoorie, will lead the DIA CoE at IIT Kanpur, overseeing its strategic initiatives and collaborative projects. DRDO will fund these projects and provide essential technical facilities and modern infrastructure to support R&D programs in the identified verticals.
The initiative to establish the DIA CoE at IIT Kanpur began in 2022 with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during Def-Expo-2022 in Gandhinagar. Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Director of IIT Kanpur, highlighted the importance of this collaboration, stating, “With the evolving defence landscape, advancing technology in this sector is critical. DRDO, academia, and industry must work together. Establishing Industry Academia Centres of Excellence by DRDO is a crucial step in this direction. IIT-Kanpur, with its strong R&D expertise and advanced facilities in flexible electronics, nanomaterials, materials science and engineering, high energy, and bioengineering, is well-positioned to contribute significantly to this effort.”
Dr. Samir V Kamat, Secretary of the Department of Defence R&D and Chairman of DRDO, emphasized the long-term impact of the centre, noting, “The Centre will drive the indigenisation of various strategic technologies, making the defence sector more self-reliant and sustainable. This initiative will accelerate the development of new materials for futuristic defence systems, which might otherwise have taken 10-15 years."
