IIT Delhi and Headquarters Maintenance (HQ) Command, Indian Air Force Nagpur have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on advancing innovative technologies for aviation textiles.

The MoU was signed by professor Naresh Bhatnagar, Dean (R&D), IIT Delhi, and Group Captain Prashant Pathak (Commanding Officer 16 BRD, AF) in the presence of professor R Alagirusamy, HoD, textile and fibre engineering dept., IIT Delhi, and professor Bipin Kumar, project coordinator, IIT Delhi, Group Captain Asit Kumar (chief of planning & production 16 BRD, AF) and Wing Commander Arun Manohar (chief of quality assurance 16 BRD, AF).

Under the MoU, IIT Delhi and HQ Maintenance, IAF Nagpur, will co-operate, collaborate and promote research and development in areas of obsolescence management, self-reliance, upgradations and digitisation through indigenisation in the field of aviation grade textiles, IIT Delhi said in a press release.

Some of the areas of interest for collaboration include raw material selection (textile/fabric) for various parachute and safety equipment, development of modern technologies/ equipment for technical textile/ fabric testing and latest standards available for incorporation into product designs related to parachute and safety equipment, implementing AI/ Robotics or imaging technologies for quality acceptance checks of textile/ fabric raw material/ finished products, innovate machine learning based imaging technology of finished products such as pilot parachute/ brake parachute or cargo parachute canopies, associated harness and crew restraint systems etc. received from the field units for repair and design and development, reliability studies, simulation studies, life extension studies of parachutes and associated accessories, according to Group Captain Prashant Pathak, Commanding Officer 16 BRD, AF.

Professor Rajendra Singh, associate dean, R&D, IIT Delhi, emphasised the importance of this partnership in addressing the Indian defence sector's growing demand for indigenisation. He highlighted the potential to leverage IIT Delhi's advanced research and IAF's practical expertise to develop innovative solutions for a wide range of aviation-grade textile products.

“The partnership between IIT Delhi and HQ Maintenance, IAF Nagpur, is expected to contribute to India's self-reliance in defence technology,” Kumar said.