The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jodhpur, in partnership with the Defence Research and Development Organisation, opened the DRDO-Industry-Academia Centre of Excellence (DIA-CoE) today, April 19, 2024. 

Through collaboration between academia, industry, and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) research labs, the DIA-CoE has the potential to transform interdisciplinary research and create the next generation of defence technology innovators, according to a press release from the institute.

Dr Samir V Kamat, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman, DRDO, attended the inauguration ceremony, as did Prof Santanu Chaudhury, Director, IIT Jodhpur, Dr Subrata Rakshit, Director General (TM) DRDO Hq, and Prof Samanwita Pal, Dean Research and Development (R&D), IIT Jodhpur.

The Centre of Excellence will lead directed research in three identified verticals: Desert Warfare Technologies, Futuristic Omni Mobility Systems, and Artificial Intelligence for Information and Wargaming Technologies. Furthermore, it will pursue science and technology objectives recognised by DRDO, ushering in a new era of innovation and collaboration, IIT Jodhpur says.

In his address, Dr Samir V Kamat expressed his optimism about the collaborative venture, stating, “This day marks a very important milestone in the journey of DIA-CoE. We aim to utilise DIA-CoE as a means for building an ecosystem comprising DRDO labs, academia, and industry. It is our wish that in the years to come, these Centers of Excellence will be like the hubs in the United States where MIT Caltech, and Stanford played a big role in making the US a superpower in technology. We hope that these centres will provide us with the same impetus to build a nation that leads in technology, fulfilling the wish of our Prime Minister."

During the initial phase of the partnership, IIT Jodhpur and DRDO will work on a variety of inventions, including the Multi-agent Amphibious Quadcopter System, Bioinspired Flapping Wing Model, Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIOT) Based Water Monitoring Technologies, Smart Apparel for Desert Warfare, and others.

The establishment of the DIA-CoE at IIT Jodhpur, which began with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on October 6, 2022, demonstrates a concerted effort to pursue directed basic and applied research in identified verticals, with the overarching goal of developing futuristic technologies and products to meet defence requirements.

Future initiatives in the pipeline will also focus on crucial areas such as Cold Plasma-based technologies, Hydrogen-based power generation systems, and Energy Harvesting for defence purposes, among others.