Speaking at the inauguration of Aero Innovation and Skill Centre (AISC) in Bengaluru, Reddy said: “As far as the drone sector is concerned, India is working on its application in defence and civilian sectors. We need to hand-hold the youngsters to boost innovations and the AISC is a way forward. The government is clear that everything should be made in the country and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call is very clear that we should make world-class products so that the world looks up to us. Today, in the defence and aerospace sectors, there are products which we earlier used to import but are now being made here.”

A part of the Aeronautical Society of India (AeSI), AISC Bengaluru will facilitate aspiring entrepreneurs and start-ups to conduct research and development in aerospace sectors. Around 15-20 start-ups will be part of the AISC as of now. The start-ups and entrepreneurs will be mentored by experts from the DRDO, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), officials said.

The DRDO chairman added that most IIT graduates used to go abroad for higher education and job opportunities even a decade ago, but around 75 per cent graduates are now opting to stay back in India and work in several sectors, such as aerospace and defence technology, among others.

“If we are talking about rolling an aircraft in four years, it is because of the ecosystem that exists today. India will become the largest exporter from the largest importer,” he said.

Software and cloud services provider Altair India and the AeSI also signed an MoU to bridge the skill gap between the industry and academics and to nurture the start-up ecosystem in the aerospace and defence sectors. As a technology partner, Altair will extend support in terms of free access to technology, solutions and mentorship to AeSI and AISC aspirants.

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/centre-wants-to-turn-india-into-global-drone-hub-drdo-chairman-8034909/