Drone Revolution Ignites: Students Challenge Built on Indigenous Chip as MeitY Launches NIDAR 2.0
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Drone Federation India (DFI) have launched the second edition of the National Innovation Challenge for Drone Application and Research, known as NIDAR 2.0. This major initiative aims to transition Indian students from merely operating drones to designing the core technology that drives them. The program was unveiled at Electronics Niketan in New Delhi under the SwaYaan banner.Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary of MeitY, highlighted a crucial shift in focus with the launch. He stated that NIDAR 2.0 is fundamentally about building the drone's "brain." By focusing on indigenous components and systems, the challenge seeks to lay the groundwork for a self-reliant national drone industry.
Focus Shifts to Building the 'Drone's Brain'
The challenge directly addresses reducing India's reliance on foreign chip designs and their licensing costs. NIDAR 2.0 leverages the VEGA processor, which was developed by C-DAC as part of MeitY’s Microprocessor Development Programme. This processor is based on the open-standard RISC-V architecture.The integration of the indigenous VEGA processor at the centre of the challenge is designed to ensure that students not only build drones but also build their control systems using domestically manufactured chips. This move significantly raises the level of competition from conventional airframes to advanced autonomous components.
Two-Track Challenge Targets Indigenous Avionics and Autonomy
NIDAR 2.0 operates across two distinct, high-stakes challenge tracks, pushing teams toward complete technological self-sufficiency. The Drone Innovation track requires students to build fully autonomous swarm drones. These systems must be capable of locating survivors and delivering medical parcels in a disaster zone without any external communication network.The second track focuses on Component Innovation. Teams are tasked with designing an indigenous flight controller and autopilot specifically built around the VEGA processor, using Indian-made electronic components. The top 100 teams from this component challenge will receive two VEGA processor kits for advanced development and testing.
Strategic Importance of VEGA Processor and Industry Support
The prize pool for NIDAR 2.0 has been increased to over Rs 65 lakh, signaling a significant commitment to the sector. Winning teams are also set to benefit from corporate internships, startup incubation support, and cloud computing credits.This strategic focus ensures that the ideas generated by NIDAR can strengthen both civilian and defence drone applications. The initiative aligns perfectly with the goals of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat @2047, ensuring a unified approach across different technological domains. Civilian and defence drones share much of the same core technology being developed through this program.
The challenge is building upon success from the first edition, which saw 3,448 students participate in autonomous drone solutions for Disaster Management and Precision Agriculture. This first cohort resulted in 24 winning teams who secured prizes totaling Rs 40 Lakh.
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