The Vice Chief of the Army Staff (VCOAS), Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani visited Chennai from 6th to 7th September. During the visit he interacted with faculty and students of IIT Madras, Start-ups, MSMEs and other Defence Industries in the region to explore innovative next generation solutions and collaborative opportunities for the Indian Army.
The VCOAS engaged with IIT Madras' leading researchers and faculty
members and discussed the advancements in technology and defense innovation with focus on cutting-edge technology for research collaboration. He was given an update on undergoing defence related projects of Army being undertaken at IIT to include projects of MoD, DRDO, Air Force and Navy in the domains of 5G, Ramjet technology, Aerospace technology, AI, Long range UAVs and Hybrid engine design, etc. He visited the Metal 3D printing and Advance Manufacturing Facility, Agnikul which specialises in the design of launch vehicles and engines, as also IIT Madras Parvarthak which is the Technology Innovation Hub at IIT Madras for 5G, Networking, sensors and control systems solutions. He also visited DRDO Young scientist laboratory which is located inside IIT Chennai and was briefed on the work being undertaken in the domain of Cognitive Technologies and AI on the Edge.
As part of Industry outreach, the VCOAS met the executive and technical leadership of multiple established and emerging companies like M/s Ashok Leyland, M/s Big Bang Boom Solutions, M/s Data Patterns, M/s Fusolve Technologies, M/s Skillveri Training Solutions, M/s TVS Sundaram Industries, M/s Aatral, M/s Big Cat Wireless, M/s Vikra Ocean Tech and M/s Dronix Tech. The interaction aimed to identity potential collaborative opportunities in the fields of Mobility Solutions, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Drones, Electronics and Early Warning Systems and Simulators, between the military and industry, thereby driving innovation and advancing National Security. He also visited M/s Zuppa Geo Navigation, a leading Deep Tech Company in Control and Communication System for Drones.
The General officer expressed appreciation for the visit, stating "Strong partnerships with the defense industry are vital to achieve our goal of a self-reliant India in the defense sector.” This visit is indicative of and highlights the importance of industry-military-academia collaboration in driving Bharat’s aim of Atmanirbharta in defence technologies and supply chain eco system, in sync with the government’s road map for achieving a Viksit Bharat by 2047.