Center of Excellence for Drones in India

Hyderabad, India, April 18, 2019 – Japan-based Terra Drone Corporation (Headquarter: Tokyo; CEO: Toru Tokushige), Terra Drone India, and the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, have signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to co-establish a first-of-its-kind Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aerial Solutions (drones) in India.

With its presence in six continents and more than 20 countries, Terra Drone Corporation is one of the world’s largest providers of industrial drone solutions. The company is at the forefront of several innovations in the aviation industry, including promoting the application of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in drones and providing advisory services to the ongoing ‘flying car’ project in Japan. As part of the Terra Drone Group, Terra Drone India offers a complete sales-service-support module for the drone ecosystem in India and is actively working to implement unmanned traffic management (UTM) for drones for various government departments.

A premier engineering college, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Hyderabad is the first academic institution to offer professional learning programs in AI and emerging technologies in India. IIT Hyderabad is also spearheading academic and industrial collaboration between India and Japan with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The tripartite agreement was signed earlier this month when Dr. U.B. Desai, Director, IIT-Hyderabad, was visiting Tokyo.

As part of the MoU, the three parties will co-establish a Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aerial Solutions at IIT Hyderabad which will focus on developing autonomous aerial vehicles in India. The alliance will also facilitate collaborative teaching, training, and research activities for upskilling young professionals in the country.

Terra Drone will support IIT Hyderabad to organize workshops, seminars, lectures, and joint projects that leverage cutting-edge unmanned technologies and drone LiDAR systems. As one of the key players in the Indian drone industry, Terra Drone India will also offer internship programs to talented students and prepare them for real-world technology applications.

Commenting on the MoU, Toru Tokushige, CEO, Terra Drone Corporation, said, “Drones can solve complex business challenges in a safe, timely, and cost-effective manner. As the world’s fastest-growing major economy, the potential for commercial drone market in India is huge. By co-establishing a Center of Excellence for Drones in India, we will be empowering young professionals and strengthening the future of the industry.”

Prateek Srivastava, CEO, Terra Drone India, said, “The UAV ecosystem in India is rapidly evolving and drones are set to become an integral part of future working environments in several industries. Terra Drone India wants to democratize this technology by giving young talent first-hand exposure to drones and preparing them for exciting careers in the UAV industry.”

Dr. U.B. Desai, Director, IIT Hyderabad, said, “We are creating a unique educational ecosystem that combines interactive learning with cutting-edge research, strong industry collaboration, and entrepreneurship. This pact with Terra Drone Corporation and Terra Drone India is a step in that direction and I’m extremely positive about its outcomes. We are especially excited about developing drone-based solutions for domains like 5G communication, agriculture, transportation, and AI.”

Image - From left to right, Teppei Seki, COO, Terra Drone Corporation; Yuki Ueno, Director, Terra Drone India; Dr. U.B. Desai, Director, Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad; and Kotaro Kataoka, Visiting Associate Professor, Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad