Una, Jun 12 (PTI) Garuda Aerospace virtually inaugurated a Center of Excellence (CoE) in Drone Technology at the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Una on Friday.

The CoE is a collaborative effort of the private firm and the institute. They both signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on January 10, and work on it began in April.

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The centre is envisioned as a hub for innovation in drone technologies, utilising its applications in fields such as agriculture, surveillance, disaster management, and environmental monitoring.

Kamlesh Paswan, BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh's Bansgaon constituency, attended the ceremony.

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The key focus areas of the centre include advanced training in drone design and maintenance, collaborative research in AI-driven aerial analytics, incubation support for UAV-related start-ups, and community outreach programmes to educate local youth and farmers about drone technology.

Institute's director, Prof Manish Gaur, expressed his gratitude for the partnership and highlighted the opportunities it will create for students and faculty alike.

"The centre will support joint research initiatives between faculty and industry experts," he said.

He further said, "This CoE represents a significant step toward building a thriving drone innovation ecosystem in Himachal Pradesh and contributes meaningfully to the Government of India's 'Drone Shakti' mission."

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)