Key Details
NIDAR 2.0 combines drone innovation, indigenous semiconductor design and industry-linked skilling under a single national challenge to strengthen India’s domestic drone and electronics ecosystem.
Programme Component | What it Covers | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
Track 1: Drone Innovation | Autonomous drone applications | Student teams will develop swarm drones, GPS-denied navigation systems, disaster-response drones and industrial inspection solutions. |
Track 2: Component Innovation | Indigenous flight-control systems | Teams will design flight controllers and autopilot boards using C-DAC’s indigenous RISC-V VEGA processors; the top 100 teams will receive 200 VEGA processor kits for prototyping. |
SwaYaan Ecosystem | National capacity-building programme | ₹89.87 crore initiative connecting 30 premier institutions through a Hub-and-Spoke model; over 51,000 people trained across drone technologies. |
Building the Foundations of an Indigenous Drone Ecosystem
NIDAR 2.0 (National Innovation Challenge for Drone Application and Research) has been launched by MeitY in collaboration with the Drone Federation of India (DFI) under the SwaYaan initiative. Rather than focusing only on assembling drone platforms, the programme seeks to develop indigenous technologies that determine how drones navigate, communicate and operate autonomously.
The challenge combines student innovation with semiconductor development, encouraging engineering institutions to build solutions that address both civilian and strategic applications while strengthening India’s domestic electronics ecosystem.
From Drone Applications to Indigenous Flight Controllers
The challenge is organised around two complementary innovation tracks.
The Drone Innovation Track focuses on autonomous applications such as swarm drones for disaster response, GPS-denied navigation for industrial inspections and autonomous delivery in communication-denied environments.
The Component Innovation Track shifts attention to the technological core of unmanned systems by requiring participants to design indigenous flight controllers and autopilot boards using C-DAC’s RISC-V VEGA microprocessors. To support hardware development, MeitY will provide two VEGA processor kits to each of the top 100 shortlisted teams.
Together, the two tracks seek to strengthen both drone applications and the domestic technology stack that powers them.
Linking Semiconductors, Skilling and Innovation
NIDAR 2.0 operates within the broader SwaYaan programme, a ₹89.87 crore national initiative aimed at building skilled human resources for India’s drone sector.
Implemented through a Hub-and-Spoke network of 30 premier institutions—including IISc, IITs, IIITs, NITs and C-DAC—the programme has already trained more than 51,000 individuals across aeromechanics, drone electronics, guidance, navigation and control (GNC), drone applications and unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
The innovation challenge extends this ecosystem by connecting students with industry mentors, startup incubation, internships and cloud-computing support, creating pathways from academic research to commercial innovation.
Strengthening India’s Technology Sovereignty
The initiative reflects a broader shift in India’s technology strategy—from assembling imported systems to developing core technologies domestically.
By promoting indigenous processors, open-standard RISC-V architecture and locally designed avionics, NIDAR 2.0 seeks to reduce dependence on imported technologies while supporting India’s semiconductor mission and expanding domestic capabilities in dual-use technologies with applications in disaster management, agriculture, infrastructure inspection and defence.
What is the VEGA Processor?
VEGA is a family of indigenous microprocessors developed by C-DAC under MeitY’s Microprocessor Development Programme using the open-standard RISC-V architecture. The processors are designed to support trusted, locally developed computing platforms for applications ranging from embedded electronics and industrial systems to autonomous technologies such as drones.
Policy Relevance
Demonstrates India’s strategy of building drone self-reliance by developing indigenous technologies rather than relying primarily on imported platforms and components.
Integrates semiconductor design, drone innovation and skill development into a single national innovation ecosystem through the SwaYaan initiative.
Promotes indigenous RISC-V processors as part of India’s broader semiconductor and trusted electronics strategy, reducing dependence on proprietary foreign technologies.
Uses challenge-based innovation, industry partnerships and academic collaboration to accelerate the commercialisation of deep-tech research.
Supports dual-use technology development with applications spanning disaster management, infrastructure inspection, agriculture, logistics and defence.
Illustrates how government programmes are increasingly linking higher education, startups and industry to strengthen India’s advanced manufacturing and innovation capabilities.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How can challenge-based innovation programmes like NIDAR 2.0 be linked with procurement, certification and startup support so that successful prototypes progress from academic projects to commercially deployable technologies?
Follow the Full Release Here: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and Drone Federation India (DFI) launch NIDAR 2.0