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TDF schemes to encourage 'Aatmanirbharta' in public & private defence industries
Industry News- Jul 05,24
So far, 77 projects have been sanctioned to various industries, with a commitment of over Rs 3 billion.
The Technology Development Fund (TDF) is encouraging public and private industries to create an ecosystem that enhances cutting-edge capabilities and promotes ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence, stated a Ministry of Defence (MoD) release on Wednesday. The TDF scheme, a flagship MoD programme, is executed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under the 'Make in India' initiative. It is especially directed at start-ups and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), according to the MoD.
So far, 77 projects have been sanctioned to various industries, with a commitment of over Rs 3 billion. The MoD reports that 27 defence technologies have been successfully realised under the scheme.
Among the success stories is Pune-based start-up Combat Robotics, which has developed an innovative simulator for unmanned vehicles. This multi-domain simulator supports Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs), Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs), Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs), and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). According to the MoD, it serves as an excellent development tool for agencies working on autonomous systems, providing comprehensive environmental modeling, scenario and vehicle modeling, and intuitive control systems with developer documentation. “It is designed to cater to the demands of testing and validating the autonomous behaviors of unmanned vehicles across multiple domains. It has been developed under the aegis of the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR), a Bengaluru-based DRDO laboratory."
Another success story is Pune-based ChiStats Labs, which has developed virtual sensors for aero gas turbine engine health monitoring. ChiStats Labs Private Limited, a start-up in data science and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions and winner of the Dare to Dream 2.0 Innovation contest of DRDO, created a comprehensive diagnostic system for various parts of the aero gas turbine engine (AGTE), increasing operational reliability and longevity. The system, built on modern AI/machine learning (AI/ML) technologies, handles large-scale data and conducts operational assessments with high accuracy. This technology was developed under the technical guidance and mentorship of the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), a Bengaluru-based DRDO laboratory specialising in aero engines.
The MoD also highlighted the success of the project "Tools for Data Assessment, Active Learning & Believability for Visual Data," aimed at enhancing AI model validation and optimisation for defence applications. Amongst the companies cited is Bengaluru-based NewSpace Research and Technologies, which developed an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of exploring indoor environments, even in zero light conditions. The project focuses on developing indoor UAVs integrated with an autonomous navigation stack, on-board object detection module, and localisation fallback mechanism. This technology, guided by CAIR, Bengaluru, has significant applications in search and rescue operations, surveillance, industrial inspections, environmental monitoring, and hazardous environment exploration.
The TDF scheme aims to provide grant-in-aid to Indian industries, including MSMEs and start-ups, fostering the development of defence and dual-use technologies that are currently not available in the Indian defence industry.
(Source: Business Standard)
TDF
defence
Make in India
MoD
Defence Research and Development Organisation
DRDO
The Technology Development Fund
MSMEs
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