The Centre’s move to synergise efforts to develop products and related critical aerospace technologies took a formal shape on Friday, as Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre laid the foundation stone of ‘Centre of Propulsion Technology’ (CoPT) to develop aero— engines and hypersonic propulsion for long duration flight.
Set up by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)—Bombay and IIT-Madras, the CoPT will be operational in the next two years. This is the third such centre being set up where premier academic institutes have been roped in for defence-related research and development of technology.
Friday’s development came four months after DRDO signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Bombay and Madras to establish a Bi-nodal CoPT at the two institutions.
Speaking on the occasion, Bhamre termed the setting up of CoPT as a “crucial step” towards making Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Make in India’ come true. “We aim at self-reliance even in defence R&D. This is the first Centre of its kind in India which will bring together technical experts. It calls for a great amount of inter-disciplinary collaboration and focussed efforts, which DRDO will whole-heartedly extend,” Bhamre said.
Describing the CoPT as “a marriage of great minds”, Secretary, Defence (R&D) Dr. S Christopher said: “Through such Centres, we can overcome constraints of resources and move towards self-reliance to take the nation ahead”.
Director of IIT-Bombay Prof. Devang Khakhar congratulated all the teams involved and wished them great success to make the projects sanctioned under CoPT a grand success, while his counterpart from IIT Madras Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi said joint collaboration was the need of the hour.
The CoPT, as the main centre of propulsion technology, will engage with the primary research nodes (IIT Bombay and IIT Madras) and other research institutions/ centres to undertake advanced collaborative research in critical defence technology areas.
It will facilitate and undertake multidisciplinary directed basic and applied research in the focused areas of like Futuristic aero-engines, Hypersonic propulsion for long duration flight, Solid propellant combustion modelling, Morphing aircraft including its propulsion and associated technologies addressing the emerging defence and security needs.
The CoPT will plan the research activities in consultation with DRDO, coordinate and progress research activities with the Primary Research Nodes and other academic institutions including any industry, as required, and enhance technology maturity in respective areas.
“The CoPT is envisaged to emerge as a centre of excellence, conducting basic and applied research in the areas of aero-propulsion technologies, and achieve recognition as one am