Hamirpur (Rajeev Sharma): A fifth-semester computer engineering student from Himachal Pradesh has secured ₹3.5 crore in approved financial support from the Union Ministry of Defence to develop a drone for surveillance in high-altitude border areas.
Sarvesh Sharma, a student at Government Polytechnic, Hamirpur (Baru), is developing the Rudra Edge T-1 (Spectra) under the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) and Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative. The project focuses on developing drone technology for challenging mountainous and high-altitude environments, where difficult terrain can make surveillance operations more demanding.
Sharma’s journey into the project began with the Open Cardboard Drone Competition, organised by IIT Jodhpur and the Konark Corps. Around 50 teams from educational institutions across India participated, with Sharma’s team securing fourth place and receiving ₹10 lakh in prize money. The experience motivated Sharma to explore drone technology specifically for surveillance challenges in high-altitude border regions.
He invested approximately ₹87,000 of his own funds to develop the initial concept and prepare the project proposal before submitting it under the Defence Ministry’s individual innovation framework. The proposal was subsequently approved, paving the way for financial support and further development of the project.
Following the approval, Sharma’s project has been linked with an incubation centre at IIT Roorkee, where he will have access to laboratory facilities, technical expertise and mentorship. The project has a 20-month completion target, during which the team will continue developing and testing the drone.
The team is exploring technologies intended to make the drone less detectable by radar and more resistant to electronic jamming. These capabilities remain under development and will need to be established through technical testing and validation.
Sharma, who comes from Bahanvi village in Hamirpur district, is now taking the project into its next stage of development with support from IIT Roorkee and the Defence Ministry. His work represents an emerging opportunity for young Indian innovators to contribute to the development of indigenous technology for challenging surveillance environments.
