Anna University to help Ladakh varsity establish drone innovation centre
CHENNAI: With an aim to establish a drone research and innovation centre at University of Ladakh, its vice chancellor, Saket Kushwaha on Thursday visited Anna University’s Madras Institute of Technology (MIT) campus, known for its research in the field of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) research. Both the universities will soon work together towards drone innovation.
Kushwala met K Ravichandran, dean MIT, and K Senthil Kumar, director, Centre for Aerospace research (CASR), initiating a strategic collaboration between the two institutions. The institute has agreed to help Ladakh University through knowledge transfer in setting up a drone manufacturing and drone pilot training centre.
“The agenda of my visit was to explore and lay the groundwork for the establishment of a Drone Research and Innovation Centre at the University of Ladakh, which will help to transform the cold desert region into a hub for advanced unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) applications tailored to high-altitude conditions,” said Kushwaha.
He also met P Sankar, the higher education secretary, and invited him for the UAV national conclave which will be organised in Ladakh in the third week of July. Both universities will co-organise a two-day national workshop titled ‘Challenges and Research Opportunities in High-Altitude Drones’ in July 2025.
The workshop will be hosted at the University of Ladakh’s Leh campus and is expected to draw participation from leading drone researchers, aerospace engineers, defence technology experts, and policymakers.
Khushwaha expressed deep appreciation for the cutting-edge infrastructure and research ecosystem at MIT during his tour of their Centre for Aerospace Research and Drone Technology Labs.
His team interacted with faculty experts at MIT and reviewed ongoing research projects, including autonomous navigation systems, payload optimisation for surveillance drones, and next-generation delivery mechanisms-technologies, that could find profound applications in Ladakh.
As per preliminary discussions, the Drone Research and Innovation Centre at the University of Ladakh will focus on several priority areas like special focus on lightweight, battery-efficient UAVs capable of sustained flight in sub-zero temperatures.