IITK and DRDO have collaboratively launched a Center of Excellence in Defense Technologies

Tags: Defence

IIT Kanpur and DRDO have jointly launched the DRDO-Industry-Academia Centre of Excellence (DIA COE) at the IIT Kanpur campus, focusing on interdisciplinary research in advanced defense technologies.

An Overview of the News

• Sanjay Tandon, previously serving as the director of the Institute of Technology Management (ITM) in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, has assumed the role of director at the center of excellence located at IIT Kanpur.

Research Focus:

• The center aims to lead focused research in various defense verticals.

• These include advanced nanomaterials, accelerated material design, high-energy materials, and bioengineering.

Funding and Infrastructure:

• Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will fund the projects and establish key technical facilities.

• Modern infrastructure will be set up to enable and boost Research and Development (R&D) programs.

Establishment Timeline:

• The establishment of DIA COE at IIT Kanpur commenced in 2022.

• It was initiated through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed during Def-Expo-2022 at Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

Background:

• DefExpo 2022 was a flagship event of the Ministry of Defence.

• It aimed to achieve Atma Nirbharta in defense and reach the USD 5 billion defense exports target by 2024.

About DRDO

• It serves as the Research and Development (R&D) arm of the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

  • Founded:- 1958

  • Chairman:-  Dr. Samir Venkatpati Kamat

  • HQ:- New Delhi, Delhi