The Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Army’s Simulator Development Division (SDD), under the Army Training Command, Shimla, to establish a cutting-edge Centre of Excellence (CoE) named VIGRAHA.
VIGRAHA, which stands for “Virtual, Intelligent, Ground-breaking Research in AR/VR & High-tech Applications,” will focus on advanced research and innovation in emerging defense technologies including Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics, drones, and unmanned systems.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Prof. B.S. Murty, Director of IIT Hyderabad, and senior officials from SDD including Brigadier A.K. Chaturvedi, Col Hari Om Ahlawat, and Lt Col Anupam Porwal. Leading the initiative from IITH were Prof. G. Narahari Sastry and Dr. Shiva Ji, who will serve as the Principal Investigator of the Centre.
Prof. Murty emphasized the importance of this partnership, stating, “This collaboration exemplifies the synergy between academia and the armed forces in driving innovation and self-reliance in defense technologies.”
The CoE will facilitate joint academic programs, R&D projects, training and certification in emerging tech, internships for students, and shared access to facilities. It marks a significant step toward realizing India’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat in defense innovation.
