Trimble partners with IIT Kanpur to propel UAV technology in India

Trimble has announced a collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur (IIT Kanpur) to support a new UAV programme offered by the Department of Aerospace Engineering. Trimble's contribution includes the provision of UAV survey and mapping equipment to the institution, as well as training and education.

The official programme launch was marked by a signing ceremony attended by Professor Tarun Gupta (the dean of research and development), Professor Onkar Dikshit, Professor Bharat Lohani, Major General Dr. B. Nagarajan, and Professor Salil Goel from IIT Kanpur. Representing Trimble at the event were Rajan Aiyer (managing director, India) and Sanjeev Trehan (director, business development, and sales).

Trimble has contributed direct georeferencing (DG) products for uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) survey and mapping to the institution. This includes a suite of Applanix board sets and the supporting processing software. In addition to the hardware and software, Trimble will also provide training and support to educate the UAV engineering team on how best to integrate and use the products within their teaching curriculum.

Gaining local expertise

India is projected to be the fastest growing UAV market by 2025, according to a recent report by PricewaterhouseCoopers. Thanks to this collaboration, the country will gain local expertise in developing a set of best practices for UAV georeferencing, while developing future generations with the knowledge of and capability to work with the latest UAV technology.

“We are excited to spearhead the development of UAV technology in and for our country, which is being put in the spotlight under a new government sponsored mandate for ‘Made in India’ commercial UAV solutions,” said Professor Salil Goel, PhD in Philosophy in Geomatics. He intends to use the technology in his students' coursework and lab exercises and for further research and development. “Our collaboration with Trimble will allow India to leverage the technology for the country’s agriculture, telecom, urban development and other industries.”

IIT Kanpur was declared an Institute of National Importance by the Government of India under the Institutes of Technology Act. With a dedicated programme for UAV education, it receives government funding to develop UAV technology and build out labs to support student training and research. IIT Kanpur’s researchers are credited with creating the first solar-powered UAVs developed in India, named MARAAL-1 and MARAAL-2.