The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in partnership with Drone Federation India (DFI), has launched the National Innovation Challenge for Drone Application and Research (NIDAR) as part of the ‘SwaYaan’ initiative, focusing on building human resource capacity in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). The initiative was announced in an official statement by MeitY on Tuesday.
The launch event, held at Electronics Niketan, MeitY, was attended by government officials, industry leaders, and students from across the country via video conferencing. S. Krishnan, Secretary of MeitY, inaugurated the challenge by unveiling a concept video, launching the official website and registration portal (https://nidar.org.in), and releasing the NIDAR poster and rulebook.
In his keynote address, Krishnan highlighted the transformative potential of drones across key sectors such as agriculture, disaster management, logistics, healthcare, and infrastructure. He stressed that the NIDAR initiative would significantly contribute to India’s goal of becoming a global drone hub by 2030. “The NIDAR program is crucial to advancing drone technology on a larger scale and fostering the innovation required to tackle real-world challenges,” said Krishnan.
Prof. T. G. Sitharam, Chairman of AICTE, also emphasized the importance of expanding the NIDAR challenge to engineering colleges nationwide. He called for stronger collaboration between academic institutions, startups, and industries, stressing the need for partnerships that can lead the way in drone technology development.
NIDAR under the SwaYaan project aims to inspire India’s student and research communities to create autonomous drones capable of addressing key challenges. The drones are designed to contribute to disaster management by scouting and delivering essential supplies in affected areas, as well as enhancing precision agriculture through targeted interventions like crop health monitoring and the precise delivery of pesticides and nutrients.
The challenge offers a prize pool of INR 40 Lakhs, along with startup incubation opportunities, cloud credits, software support, and internships with India’s top drone companies. More than 100 student teams from institutions across the country are expected to participate, presenting innovative solutions to issues in agriculture and disaster response.
As part of the Government of India’s broader effort to foster entrepreneurship and promote applied research in drone technology, the Drone Federation India (DFI), representing over 550 drone companies and 5,500 certified drone pilots, will mentor participating students and provide industry exposure.
