Nashik: In a significant step towards strengthening indigenous defence technology, research and innovation, the Nashik Defence Innovation Centre (NDIC) and the Centre for Defence Technology Innovations and Strategies (CDTIS) at IIT Bombay signed a master research agreement at IIT Bombay on Wednesday.
The agreement aims to promote joint research, technology development, indigenisation and industry-academia collaboration in the defence sector. Under the partnership, NDIC and IIT Bombay-CDTIS will work together to develop advanced indigenous solutions to address emerging technological requirements of the defence sector. The collaboration will cover scientific research, product and solution development, algorithm design and validation, system architecture and integration, and testing and evaluation in simulated as well as live field environments. The two institutions may also undertake collaborative work in other areas as mutually agreed upon.
The agreement was signed in the presence of IIT Bombay Dean (R&D) Prof Shrikrishna V Kulkarni, CDTIS Professor-in-Charge Prof Makarand Kulkarni, and NDIC Director Pradeep Peshkar, Prashant Patil and Yuvraj Wadje. NDIC Executive Officer Gaurav Aher was also present.
The partnership is expected to create opportunities for MSMEs, start-ups, innovators, defence industries and research institutions to leverage IIT Bombay’s research and technological capabilities through NDIC. The collaboration will also seek to bridge the gap between defence-sector requirements and available research expertise, thereby supporting the development and adoption of indigenous technologies.
The partnership is being viewed as an important step towards strengthening the defence innovation ecosystem, facilitating technology transfer and encouraging collaborative research between academia and industry. Through NDIC, defence-sector MSMEs, start-ups and innovators will be connected with relevant academic and research institutions, helping accelerate the development of technology-driven solutions. The agreement is expected to contribute to indigenous research and innovation in defence technology and support the broader objective of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
