Aiming to meet the emerging requirements of the Services by the burgeoning young talent, intellect and expertise, the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Tuesday announced the 'Mehar Baba Prize' – India’s very first competition in the defence sector which intends to select and shepherd participants from ideation to production.
The competition urged the individuals, start-ups and other 'for profit' entities to compete to build a swarm of 50 drones to lead Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations.
The competition is divided into three phases where those in Phase II and Phase III, who, met the jury set benchmarks, shall get their development cost reimbursed up to Rs 25 lakhs and Rs 10 crore, respectively, IAF spokesperson Wing Commander Anupam Banerjee said.
The winners up to three will get up to Rs 10 lakh in prize followed by a co-production opportunity with a Base Repair Depot (BRD) towards a Rs 100-crore order for induction of their developed drone swarms into the IAF, he added.
This is IAF’s most unique 'Make in India' effort with a complete roadmap from ideation to production, the spokesperson said.
The competition’s prize has been named in the honour of Late Air Commodore Mehar Singh, DSO MVC, affectionately called Mehar Baba.
Commissioned as a Pilot Officer in 1936 at the Royal Air Force College, Cranwell in UK was posted to the sole squadron in the Royal Indian Air Force – No 1 Squadron, then based in the North West Frontier.
Post independence Mehar Baba was the first to land in Srinagar, Poonch, Leh, Ladakh and Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) – the then highest altitude airstrip in the world.
Aiming to meet the emerging requirements of the Services by the burgeoning young talent, intellect and expertise, the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Tuesday announced the 'Mehar Baba Prize' – India’s very first competition in the defence sector which intends to select and shepherd participants from ideation to production.
The competition urged the individuals, start-ups and other 'for profit' entities to compete to build a swarm of 50 drones to lead Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations.
The competition is divided into three phases where those in Phase II and Phase III, who, met the jury set benchmarks, shall get their development cost reimbursed up to Rs 25 lakhs and Rs 10 crore, respectively, IAF spokesperson Wing Commander Anupam Banerjee said.
The winners up to three will get up to Rs 10 lakh in prize followed by a co-production opportunity with a Base Repair Depot (BRD) towards a Rs 100-crore order for induction of their developed drone swarms into the IAF, he added.
This is IAF’s most unique 'Make in India' effort with a complete roadmap from ideation to production, the spokesperson said.
The competition’s prize has been named in the honour of Late Air Commodore Mehar Singh, DSO MVC, affectionately called Mehar Baba.
Commissioned as a Pilot Officer in 1936 at the Royal Air Force College, Cranwell in UK was posted to the sole squadron in the Royal Indian Air Force – No 1 Squadron, then based in the North West Frontier.
Post independence Mehar Baba was the first to land in Srinagar, Poonch, Leh, Ladakh and Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) – the then highest altitude airstrip in the world.
