New Delhi, Mar 19 (KNN) The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in collaboration with the Drone Federation of India (DFI), has launched NIDAR—the National Innovation Challenge for Drone Application and Research—under the SwaYaan initiative.
The launch event took place at Electronics Niketan, MeitY, and was attended by government officials, industry experts, and students nationwide via video conferencing.
S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY; T. G. Sitharam, Chairman, AICTE; and Smit Shah, President, DFI, formally inaugurated the challenge.
The event featured the unveiling of a concept video, the launch of the competition website (https://nidar.org.in), and the release of the official NIDAR poster and rulebook.
NIDAR, part of MeitY’s SwaYaan initiative, aims to train professionals in the drone sector by 2027 through 1,500+ activities across five technical areas.
The initiative aligns with the Government of India’s vision to establish India as a global drone hub by 2030. DFI, representing over 550 drone companies and 5,500 drone pilots, will provide mentorship and industry exposure to participants.
The competition is expected to attract over 100 student teams from technical institutions, where they will develop collaborative autonomous drones for object detection and autonomous delivery.
This year’s problem statements focus on disaster management (scout & delivery drones) and precision agriculture (scan & spray drones).
NIDAR offers a total prize pool of Rs 40 lakhs, along with opportunities for startup incubation, cloud credits, and internships at leading drone companies.
Highlighting the impact of drones, officials cited their use during recent floods in Vijayawada for delivering essential supplies.
Smit Shah emphasised that initiatives like NIDAR will drive innovation, strengthen India’s drone ecosystem, and nurture talent for the aerospace and defence sectors.
(KNN Bureau)
