IIT Kanpur launches two-year MTech program on drones

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur will be offering a dedicated MTech program in unmanned aerial systems (UAV) through its Department of Aerospace Engineering, making it one of the firsts in the country to offer such a course, the institute's director Abhay Karandikar said.

Other institutes offering similar courses include UPES University in Dehradun, Hindustan Institute of Technology in Tamil Nadu.

In a post on LinkedIn, Karandikar said, "I am delighted to share that IIT Kanpur will be one of the first institutes in India to offer a dedicated MTech program in 'Unmanned Aerial Systems' by the Department of Aerospace Engineering. The program has been approved by the Senate and Board of the institute and will be available to students in the upcoming academic session."

Karandikar explained that the MTech in UAV will be a two-year program by the Department of Aerospace Engineering, and that it would require students complete 150 credits of coursework and thesis research work.

"Students can specialize in the Design and Aeromechanics of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) or the Autonomy of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)," he said.

Karandikar said that that course was made possible with the help of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology's (MeitY) nationwide program on capacity building for drone technology.

"This unique program reinforces IIT Kanpur's role in helping India become a leader in UAV/Drone technology. The Government of Uttar Pradesh is also supporting the Centre of Excellence in Drone at IIT Kanpur," Karandikar added.

This comes at a time when the Indian government has been doubling down on the usage of drones in governance and other processes. According to a civil aviation ministry estimate, India’s drone sector will achieve a turnover of Rs 12,000-15,000 crore by 2026, from about Rs 80 crore now.