Lucknow: The three-day Armed Forces Festival ‘Sashakt aur Surakshit Bharat: Transforming the Armed Forces’ which was inaugurated by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow on September 6, saw participation of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur’s Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC).
Showcasing modern technology-based military weapon systems, including tanks, infantry weapons, and artillery guns, the event witnessed an impressive display of military might and innovation, a press release informed. Demonstrations during the program included slithering, para jumps, and insertion of special forces via helicopters. Additionally, there were other highlights such as paramotors, microlight flying, fighter aircraft flypasts, and horse, dog, and motorcycle displays.
Animesh Mishra, the Manager of SIIC, IIT Kanpur, as part of the program, led a group of startups incubated under SIIC, all making significant contributions to the defence sector. Some of the technological innovations highlighted were the Alakh, Sabal 10/20, and Vibhram, a suite of surveillance and logistics drones developed by EndureAir Systems Pvt. Ltd which have been designed to enhance operational capabilities.
At the event, Maraal Aerospace Pvt. Ltd showcased its indigenously designed and developed solar-powered – Maraal Solar UAV with an with extended endurance and cyber-attack resilient features. Likewise, Dream Aerospace Pvt. Ltd. showcased its Green Monopropellant Thruster named the Atom thruster, which utilises a HAN-based non-toxic green fuel available in various thrust levels starting from 1N. Other startups that featured their technological innovations included VU-Dynamics Pvt. Ltd., Space Philic Pvt Ltd., and Cyethack Solutions Pvt Ltd.
The products of these startups have been developed under the SIIC and aim to significantly contribute to the defence sector.
Prof Deepu Philip, Professor-in-Charge of SIIC at IIT Kanpur, expressed his pleasure at the technological innovations brought by the startups to the defence sector. He said that these young companies have showcased technologies that can significantly enhance the capabilities of armed forces.
