Hamirpur (HP). Sarvesh Sharma, a fifth-semester computer science student at Government Polytechnic College in Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh, will develop an indigenous surveillance drone intended to operate in difficult border environments.
The Ministry of Defence has approved funding for Sharma’s project under the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) and its Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative. The project, named Rudra Edge T-1 (Spectra), is expected to focus on reducing the drone’s vulnerability to enemy radar detection and electronic jamming.
The unmanned aerial vehicle is being designed for potential use by the Indian Army in border surveillance. Its proposed capabilities are particularly relevant to high-altitude and mountainous areas, where conventional surveillance systems can face difficult terrain, severe weather and limited access.
Sharma’s progress began at the national-level Open Cardboard Drone Competition organised by IIT Jodhpur and the Konark Corps. The event brought together 50 teams from educational institutions across India and included discussions on operational challenges faced by the Army in monitoring border regions.
Sharma’s team finished fourth and received a ₹10-lakh prize. The competition encouraged him to develop a prototype addressing the surveillance problems discussed during the event. He subsequently built an initial drone at a cost of about ₹87,000 before submitting a proposal under the Defence Ministry’s innovation programmes.
The ministry has granted a 20-day period to complete the formalities connected with the project. An incubation centre has been established at IIT Roorkee, where Sharma will work in a laboratory and receive institutional support while developing the technology. The target is to complete the project within 20 months.
The grant marks a substantial transition from a low-cost student prototype to a formally supported defence-development programme. It will allow the project team to work on engineering refinement, testing and integration under a structured research and incubation environment.
Details of the drone’s operational range, payload, communications architecture and specific radar-avoidance methods have not been publicly disclosed. Claims about radar evasion and resistance to jamming will ultimately need to be established through controlled trials and defence evaluation before the system can be considered for deployment.
The project also highlights the role of iDEX in bringing students, start-ups and academic institutions into India’s defence innovation ecosystem. The initiative was established to encourage technological solutions for the armed forces and to reduce dependence on imported equipment by supporting domestic innovators.
Sharma’s achievement has drawn attention partly because of his personal circumstances. Reports said he comes from Bahanvi village in Hamirpur and is the son of a daily-wage worker. He completed his schooling at a government institution before joining the polytechnic college.
Government Polytechnic Hamirpur principal Chandrashekhar described the project as a source of pride for the college and the state. Himachal Pradesh Governor Kavinder Gupta also felicitated Sharma, saying such work strengthened efforts towards self-reliance in defence technology.
For the Army, small surveillance drones can provide commanders with rapid visual information without exposing personnel to unnecessary risk. In border areas, systems that can continue functioning despite electronic interference could offer an advantage, provided they meet requirements for reliability, endurance, secure communications and maintainability.
The next phase will therefore be decisive. Sharma and his mentors must convert the prototype into a tested military platform capable of performing consistently in demanding conditions. If successful, the Rudra Edge T-1 (Spectra) could become an example of how modest student-led experimentation can enter India’s formal defence procurement and innovation pipeline.
