Chandigarh: IIT Ropar Director Rajeev Ahuja was conferred with the Chief of Army Staff Commendation by COAS General Upendra Dwivedi in a meeting at his office on Saturday.

The recognition by the Indian Army chief is a direct acknowledgement of IIT Ropar's growing contributions to defence technology and research, underscoring the institution's emergence as a key partner in India's national security ecosystem, the institute said in a release.

Expressing gratitude, Ahuja said, "I am thankful and greatly humbled by this honour bestowed on me by the chief. I owe this to the hard work put in by the team IIT Ropar to create a defence research and innovation ecosystem to help strengthen the security of the Nation. This recognition will give us renewed impetus to fulfill our pledge towards ensuring Atmanirbharta (self-reliance) in defence."

The institute said it has been steadily building its defence research capabilities across critical technology domains.

Backed by the Army Technology Board, the institution's researchers and faculty are currently engaged in frontier projects, including resilient habitat, autonomous armoured vehicles and directed energy weapons, among the most strategically significant technology areas for the Indian Army, the statement added.

This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.