Rajnath Singh Launches IIT Kanpur's 'Greater Than Us' Campaign; Institute Plans Defence Drone Hub

17 October 2026National

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has launched IIT Kanpur's 'Greater Than Us' campaign, which aims to raise USD 1 billion by March 2029 for research in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum technologies, semiconductors, drones, MedTech and sustainability. IIT Kanpur also unveiled plans for a defence drone hub with the Ministry of Defence to indigenise critical drone components. The push adds an academic leg to a drone ecosystem the armed forces have been building through the Army's first Baaz drone battalion in Punjab and DRDO's drone-launched missile trials, and complements the Drone Rules, 2021 and the drone production-linked incentive scheme.

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IIT Kanpur was established in 1959 and began India's first computer science programme in 1963 | India's drone framework includes the Drone Rules, 2021 and a Production Linked Incentive scheme for drones and drone components announced in 2021 | The Defence Research and Development Organisation was founded in 1958 and is headquartered in New Delhi

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