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Dron-o-war 1.0 at Noida's JIIT puts spotlight on India's growing drone ecosystem
Dron-o-war 1.0 was a two-day national drone technology event held at JIIT Noida on May 2-3, 2026. The inaugural ceremony featured senior defense and space scientists, and the event showcased over 100 teams with FPV racing, autonomous missions, and payload challenges, supported by industry partners.
Why It Matters
The event highlights India's expanding drone ecosystem, emphasizing innovation, skill development, and collaboration between academia, industry, and government in defense, logistics, and disaster management.
Timeline
3 Events
Panel on Innovations, Challenges, and the Future of Drone Technology
May 3, 2026
A panel session on ‘Innovations, Challenges, and the Future of Drone Technology’ discussed advancements in autonomous systems, AI-enabled navigation, real-time data processing, regulatory compliance, and scalability challenges in drone deployment.
Dron-o-war 1.0 held at JIIT Wish Town Campus begins
May 2, 2026
The two-day event at Wish Town campus of Jaypee Institute of Information Technology in Noida Sector 128 began on May 2, 2026, running through May 3. The inaugural ceremony featured Lt. Gen. Anil Chandra Chait (Retd.) as chief guest. More than 100 teams from institutes, universities, and schools participated, with a lineup of FPV racing championships, autonomous drone missions, payload delivery challenges, panel discussions, design and innovation contests, and simulation-based competitions. Industry partners including PDRL, RevUp, hoverRobotix, MentorX and FORE FIDTR supported the event, which was organized under the university’s leadership and faculty.
Inaugural ceremony marks start of Dron-o-war 1.0
March 2, 2026
The two-day national event began with an inaugural ceremony attended by Lt. Gen. Anil Chandra Chait (Retd.) as chief guest. Also in attendance were Dr Sarat Kumar Dash and Dr Nishank K. Srivastava from ISRO, Dr Bhupendra Singh from DRDO, and senior scientists from BARC. The university described the event as a catalyst for innovation and skill development in unmanned aerial systems transforming defense, logistics, surveillance, and disaster management. The event was conducted under pro-chancellor Prof S C Saxena, with JIIT Noida faculty including Prof. Vikas Saxena, Prof. Shikha Mehta, and Dr Vinay Tikkiwal. Over 100 teams from institutes, universities, and schools participated, and prizes totaling ₹20 lakhs were offered across events such as FPV racing, autonomous drone missions, payload delivery challenges, design and innovation contests, and simulation-based competitions. The event aimed to provide a platform for students, researchers, and industry experts to exchange ideas and advance India’s drone technology ecosystem, with support from industry partners including PDRL, RevUp, hoverRobotix, MentorX and FORE FIDTR.