Student receives Rs 3.5 crore defence grant to develop radar-evading army drone
Engineering student Sarvesh Sharma has been awarded a Rs 3.5 crore grant from the Ministry of Defence to advance his Rudra Edge T-1 drone for border surveillance.
Sarvesh Sharma, a student from Hamirpur, secured a Rs 3.5 crore defence grant after his prototype drone, costing roughly Rs 87,000, was accepted by the Ministry of Defence's Defence Innovation Organisation and iDEX initiatives. The project, named Rudra Edge T-1 (Spectra), will be further developed at IIT Roorkee's newly created incubation centre. Designed for border surveillance, the drone incorporates technology to evade enemy radar and resist electronic jamming.
Sharma will work in IIT Roorkee’s laboratory and has a 20-month window to complete the development. The grant follows his participation in a national cardboard-drone competition organized by IIT Jodhpur and the Konark Corps, which highlighted the Army’s surveillance challenges. The Ministry has set a 20-day period to finalize project formalities.
