The Army's Southern Command is spearheading drone innovation and defence technology advancements through a collaborative initiative, uniting military, academic, and industry experts to address modern warfare challenges.
The Battle Axe Division of the Army's Southern Command organised an academia-industry interaction on drone innovation here as part of the Military-Civil Fusion (MCF) initiative.
The interaction brought together more than 50 representatives from the tech industry, academic institutions and the Army, a defence spokesperson said.
The programme aimed at promoting collaboration between the armed forces, industry experts and academicians to support development of emerging defence technologies.
Discussions during the interaction focused on advancements in drone innovation, skill development and emerging technologies relevant to modern operational requirements, the spokesperson said.
Participants also deliberated on aligning regional talent, research capabilities and industrial innovation with the evolving technological needs of the armed forces, he added.
Experts highlighted the growing importance of unmanned systems, counter-drone technologies and multi-domain operational capabilities in the changing nature of warfare.
The meeting also explored ways to strengthen industry-academia partnerships, and encourage innovation that could contribute to the development of indigenous defence technologies.