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Kharagpur Arms Up: Manekshaw Centre of Excellence Set to Fire Up Homegrown Defence Innovation

Swarnadwip Nath Published Aug 24, 2025, 05:21 AM Updated Sep 16, 2026, 04:27 PM

In a landmark move to bolster India’s defence technology ecosystem, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur inaugurated the Manekshaw Centre of Excellence for National Security Studies and Research on its 75th Foundation Day, August 18, 2025. This pioneering centre aims to foster collaborative research and innovation between academia, industry, and the armed forces, driving the nation’s ambition for self-reliant defence capabilities.

Key Highlights: Manekshaw Centre’s Launch and Vision

The Centre was jointly inaugurated by Lt Gen (Dr.) Subrata Saha, Executive Chairman of the Centre, and IIT Kharagpur Director Professor Suman Chakraborty.

Named after Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, the centre is positioned as a national nodal platform facilitating communication and cooperation among prestigious institutions like IITs, IISc Bangalore, IIITs, and NITs.

It brings together expertise from academia, startups, industry, and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to accelerate the design and deployment of indigenous defence technologies.

Strengthening Collaboration for Future Warfare Technologies

The Manekshaw Centre aims to synergize efforts across the defence research ecosystem to develop technologies in artificial intelligence, cyber security, autonomous systems, space technologies, and more.

Lt Gen Saha emphasized the need for a “collaborative national effort” to match the rapid pace of change in warfare technology, ensuring India remains at the forefront of strategic innovation.

Specially curated academic courses on next-generation warfare, emerging technologies, and defence studies will be introduced to cultivate futuristic thinking among engineers and researchers.

Key Roles and Strategic Focus Areas

IIT Kharagpur will lead research initiatives on healthcare technologies for defence, hardware security, AI applications, and entrepreneurship development within the centre’s ambit.

Startups and industry partners will play a critical role as technology incubators, helping to mature innovations toward operational readiness and battlefield deployment.

The centre will host dialogue series, workshops, ideathons, and conferences to foster knowledge exchange, collaborative problem solving, and roadmap setting aligned with India’s security priorities.

Government Backing and National Importance

The initiative operates under the patronage of India’s Ministry of Education and aligns closely with the Government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision to build indigenous defence capabilities.

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan lauded the Centre’s establishment, underscoring its potential to build a robust defence innovation ecosystem and bridge gaps between academic research and military requirements.

The Manekshaw Centre serves as a critical node in India’s defence preparedness landscape, enhancing the country’s ability to “win Indian wars with Indian solutions,” as Lt Gen Saha succinctly put it.

Expansion and Participating Institutions

Along with IIT Kharagpur, the Manekshaw initiative engages a broad consortium including IIT Guwahati, Madras, Kanpur, Jodhpur, Dharwad, Delhi, Bombay; premier universities like BHU (Varanasi), Indian School of Mines (Dhanbad), IISc Bangalore, and IIIT Delhi.

The network creates a nationwide ecosystem that synergizes top scientific minds on defence-relevant problems, enhancing scale and depth of research.

More institutions are expected to join this transformative framework, amplifying India’s technological strength.

Conclusion

The inauguration of the Manekshaw Centre of Excellence at IIT Kharagpur represents a transformative step in India’s journey toward self-reliant defence innovation. By fostering strategic collaborations between academia, industry, and the armed forces, the Centre seeks to equip India with cutting-edge, homegrown solutions reflecting the aspirations of Atmanirbhar Bharat. As technologies of war evolve rapidly, Manekshaw Centre stands as a beacon of interdisciplinary excellence dedicated to securing the nation’s future.

Sources: Indian Express, The Week, Times of India, Edex Live

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