Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra (BIT Mesra) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) jointly organized a seminar titled “Aerospace Technologies in the Defence Sector – An Overview” to mark BIT's 70th anniversary. Held at the BIT Mesra campus, the seminar showcased the latest developments in aerospace technology and their significance in the defence sector.
The event brought together leading experts from the aerospace and defence industries, academia, and the scientific community. Senior officials from DRDO and BIT Mesra addressed a gathering of students, researchers, and industry professionals, providing valuable insights into the latest advancements in aerospace technology, especially as they relate to India's defence capabilities.
The seminar was organized by the Department of Space Engineering and Rocketry at BIT Mesra. Dr. Priyank Kumar, Professor and In-charge of the department, spearheaded the event.
This one-day seminar explored recent developments at DRDO and discussed funding aids for faculty members. Dr. Reena Sharma, a retired DRDO scientist and current Chairperson of the Systems and System Engineering panel at ARDB, provided an overview of the panel and its focus areas. She talked about the promotion of research and development related to Aircraft systems such as avionic, flight control, utility, sensors, communication etc. Dr. S.K. Pandey, Scientist-F at DRDO HQ/AR&DB, shed light on research opportunities with AR&DB. He said that AR&DB treat academic institutions as an extended arm. He suggested scholars to focus on the research problems and not the funding. He concluded his speech with the quote, “Together we will do better”.
Prof. Indranil Manna, Vice Chancellor of BIT Mesra, addressed the audience and emphasized the significant advancements in aerospace technology. He highlighted the different academic units of BIT and also discussed the vast number of labs of DRDO.
Dr. Bishakh Bhattacharya, a Professor at IIT Kanpur, delved into the futuristic design of intelligent autonomous systems from a mechanical engineering perspective. He virtually explored the field of mechanical engineering and highlighted its potential for students.
Dr. A.K. Singh, Scientist-F at DMSRDE, Kanpur, discussed the use of advanced polymer composites in aerospace applications. Amandeep Garg, a SC-F at LRDE, Bengaluru, shared insights on airborne radars for surveillance and fire control
The seminar highlighted the importance of collaboration between academia and defence research organizations to drive innovation. BIT Mesra's aerospace engineering department showcased its ongoing research and development projects. The event provided students with valuable insights into real-world defence sector challenges. The interactive session was well-received by all attendees.
