Plan To Set Up Drone Centre In Secunderabad
Representatives from IIT-Hyderabad’s TiHAN centre, Bharat Dynamics Limited, L&T, Kalyani Rafael Advanced Systems, Ideaforge and other Hyderabad-based firms joined the discussions: Reports
HYDERABAD: The Directorate of Quality Assurance (R&S) has announced plans to set up a Centre of Excellence for drones in Secunderabad, as senior defence officials, academics and industry leaders met to discuss the future of unmanned aerial systems.
At a seminar in the DGQA technical complex on Friday, DGQA Director General N. Manoharan described drones as decisive for future wars, while ADGQA (R&S) R.A. Govardhan said the new centre would serve as a hub for quality assurance and testing of military UAVs.
Representatives from IIT-Hyderabad’s TiHAN centre, Bharat Dynamics Limited, L&T, Kalyani Rafael Advanced Systems, Ideaforge and other Hyderabad-based firms joined the discussions. The gathering was also to show the city’s growing role as a defence manufacturing base, with Telangana government officials also outlining the policy support.
The sessions covered airworthiness, certification, software testing and user feedback from the armed forces. The seminar closed with a panel discussion that drew on lessons from conflicts such as the Ukraine war and India’s Operation Sindoor, stressing the need for reliable and secure drone systems.
Speakers from industry and academia welcomed the move to anchor a dedicated centre in Secunderabad, calling it timely as both civilian and military demand for UAVs accelerates.
