Zuppa partners IISc to set up drone Centre of Excellence

Zuppa Geo Navigation Technologies has partnered with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, to establish a Drone Centre of Excellence (CoE) within the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The initiative is intended to support research and development in next-generation drone technologies, with a focus on indigenous capabilities.

The Drone CoE will serve as a centre for research, design, and testing of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems. It will bring together Zuppa’s cyber-physical technology platforms and IISc’s expertise in aerodynamics, robotics, controls, and systems engineering. The collaboration is expected to support the development of UAV technologies for applications such as defence, agriculture, logistics, disaster management, and urban infrastructure.

Sai Pattabiram, Founder and Managing Director of Zuppa Geo Navigation Technologies, said the partnership reflects the company’s focus on indigenous innovation in navigation and UAV systems, and highlights the value of collaboration between industry and academia in advancing research and technology development.

A senior representative from IISc’s Department of Mechanical Engineering said the Centre of Excellence would aim to combine fundamental research with practical applications, creating a foundation for further work in drone design, autonomy, and system performance.

Through the establishment of the Drone CoE, Zuppa and IISc aim to strengthen domestic capabilities in UAV technologies while supporting the development of skilled researchers and engineers for India’s growing drone ecosystem.

Zuppa Geo Navigation Technologies is an Indian technology company working on navigation systems, UAVs, and cyber-physical platforms. Its work spans sectors including defence, agriculture, logistics, disaster response, and smart infrastructure.