BEML signs MoUs with IIT, Kanpur & NASSCOM-CoE

BEML to leverage technology for Atmanirbhar Bharat

BEML teamed up with IIT – Kanpur in the field of UAV and NASSCOM – CoE (Centre of Excellence) for AI & IoT related areas in the virtual presence of Mr. Rajnath Singh, Raksha Mantri. Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Bipin Rawat, PVSM, Secretary (Defence Production), and other senior officials were present on the occasion.

Dr. Deepak Kumar Hota, CMD, BEML, exchanged the signed copies with Mr. Sanjeev Malhotra, CEO, NASSCOM, and Professor A.R. Harish, Dean, IIT Kanpur after signing the MoUs.

BEML will collaborate with IIT Kanpur for joint indigenous development of Pilotless Target Aircraft (PTA) and tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). Both the organizations will synergize respective capabilities and undertake feasibility study, design & development, testing & validations of UAV & PTA. The jointly developed products would substitute the currently imported UAVs & PTAs and aims to achieve self-reliance at a reduced cost.

This will also help to foster innovation and technology development in Defence & Aerospace by engaging various industries including MSMEs, start-ups, individual innovators, R&D institutes and academia.

This will enable BEML to achieve a quantum jump in Defence & Aerospace Business and provide a big thrust in ‘Atmanirbharta’ in the Defence Sector. The potential customers will constitute of Armed Forces, Paramilitary & Civilian.

BEML – NASSCOM tie-up aims at technical support for implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) in BEML products and to set up incubation centre for start-ups with a view to achieve self-reliance and foster innovation & technological development in Defence & Aerospace by engaging various Industries including MSMEs, start-ups, individual innovators, R&D institutes and academia.

Over the years, AI has been driving business in multiple ways such as increased customer engagement, optimizing training costs, providing personalized customer support, deriving reams of data on customer behaviour to streamline business process optimization and provide round-the-clock customer support services. In addition, AI & IoT will bring about sea change to company’s manufacturing processes.

The MoU between BEML & NASSCOM will enable BEML to achieve its vision to remain abreast with cutting edge technology and to be a market leader.

BEML Ltd. is a leading multi-technology ‘Schedule A’ company under the Ministry of Defence, plays a pivotal role in serving India’s core sectors like Defence, Rail, Power, Mining and Construction by offering world class products. BEML operates in three verticals, viz., Defence & Aerospace, Mining & Construction and Rail & Metro and has state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities located at Bangalore, Kolar Gold Fields (KGF), Mysore, Palakkad. BEML has very strong R&D infrastructure with a nationwide network of sales and services.

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, established in 1959, is one of the premier institutions established by the Government of India. The aim of the Institute is to provide meaningful education, to conduct original research of the highest standard and to provide leadership in technological innovation with a vision statement “To create, disseminate and translate knowledge in science, engineering and allied disciplines that will best serve the society.”

NASSCOM Centre of Excellence (CoE), a not-for-profit industry association, is the apex body for the $180 billion IT BPM industry in India, an industry that had made a phenomenal contribution to India’s GDP, exports, employment, infrastructure and global visibility.

NASSCOM has been engaged actively in rolling out several new initiatives and strengthening the existing ones over the last few years and again to remain innovative, without ever losing its humane and friendly touch. NASSCOM’s members have enabled the association to spearhead initiatives at local, national and global levels.