Army inks pact with IIT-M Pravartak Tech

Chennai: The Indian Army’s Corps of Electronics and Mechanical EngiThe collaboration aims to establish a structured framework to jointly identify, develop and deploy indigenous solutions tailored to the operational and maintenance needs of the Army.The collaboration aims to establish a structured framework to jointly identify, develop and deploy indigenous solutions tailored to the operational and maintenance needs of the Army. By integrating academic expertise, industry capabilities and military insights, the partnership seeks to bridge the gap between field requirements and advanced research.

As part of the initiative, a Nodal Indigenisation Centre has been set up at Avadi near Chennai to leverage the region’s industrial ecosystem and strengthen the Tamil Nadu Defence Corridor as a hub for defence manufacturing and innovation. The effort is being facilitated through the HQ Base Workshop Group and the Directorate of Indigenisation of the Indian Army.

Dr. M.J. Shankar Raman, CEO of IIT-M Pravartak Technologies Foundation, said the partnership would accelerate indigenous solutions through stronger collaboration between the armed forces, academia and innovation ecosystems. Maj. Gen. Lalit Kapoor, VSM, Commander, Base Workshop Group (EME), noted that the collaboration would help enhance operational readiness, upgrade legacy weapon platforms and develop niche capabilities while reducing dependence on external sources.

The collaboration will focus on identifying problem statements from Army equipment, co-developing prototypes, undertaking technical validation and supporting productisation for deployment. Key domains include sensing systems, cyber-physical systems and autonomous technologies, with participation from startups and academic partners.