National Innovation Challenge for Drone Research (NIDAR)
iasparliament
March 22, 2025
Why in news?
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and Drone Federation India has recently launched NIDAR to boost Talent, R&D and Skill Development in Drone Ecosystem.
Aim – NIDAR is India’s largest national drone innovation initiativethat motivates students and researchers from academia to build collaborative autonomous drones across 2 critical domains:
Launched under – The SwaYaan Initiative.
Benefits – It offers a total prize pool of INR 40 Lakhs along with opportunities for startup incubation, cloud credits, software support, and internships with India’s leading drone companies.
SwaYaan Initiative
SwaYaan is a National Initiative to develop and strengthen India’s UAS/Drone ecosystem, aligning with the Government’s vision to make India a global drone hub by 2030.
Aim – The program empowers learners from undergraduates to faculty and open learners across five key technical areas through 1,500+ academic, research, and knowledge-sharing activities.
Ministry – Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
Implementation – Through a network of 30 Premier Academic and R&D institutions, including IIT, IISc, IIIT, NITs, IIITDM, C-DAC, and NIELIT Centres.
Drone Federation India (DFI)
A non-government, non-profit, industry-led body representing 550+ drone companies and 5500+ drone pilots across the country.
Vision – To make India a global drone hub by 2030, and it promotes the design, development, manufacturing, adoption and export of Indian drone and counter-drone technology worldwide.
Significance – A premier industry will support participating students in NIDAR by providing mentorship and industry exposure.
DFI enables ease of doing business, promotes the adoption of drone technology, and hosts several programs like Bharat Drone Mahotsav.
