Chandigarh (The Hawk): Chandigarh Region Innovation & Knowledge Cluster CRIKC Panjab University in collaboration with General Aeronautics Bengaluru launched an Advanced Drone Tech Centre in PU campus. This centre will involve engineers, scientists and students from PU and CRIKC institutes for Research, Development and application of Drone based technologies in fields of agriculture, disaster management and for material transportation & accessibility to difficult terrains. Prof Gaurav Verma, Coordinator CRIKC and the Principal Investigator of this project informed that cutting edge technologies like AI, data analytics, precision delivery & nanotechnology can be applicable to agriculture and allied areas in the environment through these projects. He and his team would be extending this project in states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and UTs of J&K and Ladakh, where these technologies would be most enabling. Notably Adani Aerospace & Defence has stakes in General Aeronautics and hence this project assumes much significance. Professor Renu Vig, Vice Chancellor was happy to share that such centres would be established for creating an inhouse model for industries inside academic institutions and CRIKC, PU would take further strides in this regard. She also mentioned that the students would be skilled up and innovation would get a boost in this region with PU taking a lead. In this launching programme Bhatinda based MRS PTU VC Prof Buta Singh, PU DUI Prof Rumina Sethi, GA CEO Dr Abhishek Burman and many faculty members from PU and MRSPTU were present.