From apparel material that can prevent snake bites to formulations that can be used as alternatives to bathing or oral hygiene and from database on wild-edibles for emergency survival and real-time offline translation tools, startups and academia have been invited to team-up with DRL for these cutting-edge targeted R&D in highly challenging areas of military research and be part of India’s national self-reliance mission.

The list of 21 technologies/products is not “exhaustive” and that there would be “ample scope for dialogue on other novel ideas, products, technologies and knowledge” relevant to soldier support, protection and survival under emergency conditions.

While some of these products are currently being used by soldiers but are imported, while several others will be useful. Some of them are “essential”, some as “could be” some as aspirational technologies and products.

Technologies or products in the list like specialised fabric with protection against various hematophagous animals/insects like snakes, leeches and mosquitoes, for use in tropical rainforests; safe formulations for maintaining general health and hygiene in high-humidity regions, for instance as an alternative to bathing or oral hygiene practices; odourless or signature-free, skin-friendly formulations for protection against various hematophagous animals and database of wild-edibles (WEs) in selected regions for use during emergency survival conditions, are all targeted for the northeastern region and desert.

Among technologies and products that would have uses along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) — where there are no signs of de-escalation in eastern Ladakh — and some parts of LOC are: Light-weight flexible fabric for extremely low temperature, high altitude regions; anti-freeze water storage systems or solutions; offline real-time translator system for select languages and human waste management in low temperature, high altitude, remote, resource-poor locations.

Some of them that have uses across locations are rapid blood coagulating formulation with antimicrobial properties for combat wounds; light-weight, mine-proof, anti-spike, anti-skid, abrasion-resistant, anti-static, ankle-protecting all-weather footwear; offline, secure, encrypted, untraceable audio-video communication system for closed group users and light-weight, reusable stoves with multiple fuel options.

Some other technologies or products DRL is exploring, include a database of vectors & vector-borne disease in selected regions; on-site, rapid differential diagnostics for vector-borne/ food/ water borne pathogens; emergency water purification device; light-weight, water-resistant fabric for multipurpose use; light-weight, highly breathable fabric for use as uniform in high humidity conditions, water-repellent gloves, ergonomic all-weather abrasion-resistant gloves, etc.

Further, it is also scouting for remotely operated devices for search & surveillance operations — to detect human-activity, weapons and landmines inside dense vegetation.

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IIT-BHU director Prof Pramod Kumar Jain said the institute in association with the DRL-DRDO, Tezpur Assam, will work together in solving the unmet technical and medical needs of the security forces.

“This MoU will give a much-needed platform to work together to solve the unmet technical and medical needs of the security forces in the field, cross-pollination of ideas to nurture new technologies and their adoption and dissemination for wider benefits of security forces at large,” Jain said.

As per the pact, DRL-DRDO will provide advanced and unique research facilities that will enable the faculty and scholars of IIT-BHU to conduct cutting-edge research in the area of drug development and transform it into a centre of excellence. DRDO scientists and engineers will work with the academic research faculty and scholars in addressing the different scientific problems to find innovative solutions.

Faculty members and researchers in various engineering and science departments of IIT-BHU will participate in the research programme/projects under the MoU.

The institute will provide cooperation and consultancy, duly supported by research for feasibility studies and prototype development.

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