Bhubaneswar: IIT Bhubaneswar has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IG Drones, a leading drone tech and AI company in India, to establish an Advanced Drone Excellence Centre at the IIT Bhubaneswar Research and Entrepreneurship Park, focused on disaster management R&D.
This collaboration marks a significant milestone in advancing drone technology research and development in the field of disaster management, especially as India is a disaster-prone country.
The new Centre of Excellence (CoE) will be dedicated to pioneering research and development in
disaster management applications of drone technology. This initiative aims to enhance the capabilities of drones in responding to natural calamities, leveraging IG Drones' extensive experience in disaster-prone areas.
IG Drones has been active in disaster management since 2019, with notable experience from its work in Uttarakhand’s avalanche-affected regions, Sikkim’s landslides, and Odisha’s cyclone–
prone areas.
This expertise positions IG Drones uniquely to drive innovation in this critical field.
This new CoE will be the first to focus specifically on disaster management R&D. The partnership with IIT Bhubaneswar Research and Entrepreneurship Park aims to further advance the development of drone technologies that can be deployed effectively during emergencies, providing critical support in disaster response and recovery efforts.
The MoU outlines the collaboration’s key objectives, including the development of cutting-edge drone technologies and research methodologies tailored for disaster management. The Advanced Drone Excellence Centre will be situated in a dedicated space of approximately 2000 sq. ft., equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to support research and development initiatives.
Earlier this year, the 100 Cube Initiative partnered with IIT Bhubaneswar Research and Entrepreneurship Park, an initiative envisioned by Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan and aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of the Purvodaya Mission.
This mission aims to create 100 startups, each valued at 100 crores, by 2036, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Odisha’s formation.
