The inauguration of the Drone Technologies lab at GITAM (Deemed to be University) Bengaluru campus marked a significant step forward in its dedication to innovation and technological progress during the Conclave on Academic Research (CAR). Hosted by the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, the conclave featured esteemed speakers who shared deep insights into pioneering research and encouraged collaborative efforts. Professor Mangal Kothari from IIT Kanpur and Dr. KNS Acharya, the Pro Vice Chancellor of GITAM (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru Campus, presided over the ceremony, underscoring the institution's commitment to intellectual fervor.

Additionally, the Conclave was graced by other esteemed figures including Prof. U.B. Desai, Former Director of IIT Hyderabad; Prof. S Sundar, Director of NIT Mizoram and Chair Professor at IIT Madras; and Prof. Pramod Kumar Singh, Professor at IITM Gwalior and Associate Professor at IISc Bengaluru.

GITAM entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with DronaVyuh Technology, marking a significant collaboration between academia and industry experts in drone-related ventures. The partnership is geared towards investigating aspects such as battery longevity, flight steadiness, and self-directed navigation, thereby driving advancements in areas like delivery services, search and rescue missions, and weather surveillance. Furthermore, research into noise mitigation and air traffic control sets the stage for wider societal embrace and incorporation of drones into daily activities.

The inauguration of the drone lab at GITAM reflects the institution's overarching goal of promoting interdisciplinary research endeavors. This is exemplified by the recent inauguration of the Multidisciplinary Unit of Research in Translational Initiatives (MURTI) laboratory, officiated by Dr. Kota Harinarayana, Programme Director and Chief Designer of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas program, alongside Christopher W. Hodges, the U.S. Consul General in Chennai.

Prof. U.B Desai enlightened researchers on innovation and entrepreneurship, various funding opportunities, and insights on CRISPR and Quantum Computing technologies. Additionally, Professor Desai showcased an autonomous electric vehicle [buggy] developed at the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad for potential intra-campus transportation purposes. Prof. P.K. Singh highlighted optimization techniques and their applications to various real-world problems. He specifically discussed scheduling challenges related to electric vehicle charging mechanisms.

Prof. Mangal Kothari presented the research and development activities related to autonomous vehicles and robotics at his organization. He showcased prototypes of various drones and robotic systems his team engineered. Prof. Sundar underscored the significance of Mathematics in addressing any research issues, particularly in computer science and related fields. He exhibited the mathematical modelling of human movement, traffic examination, pedestrian modelling and other related areas.

Prof. Soma Biswas presented on current trends in computer vision research. She demonstrated and discussed the object detection problem through vehicle identification. The training and testing of vehicles using the ‘Train and Ignore’ principle was highlighted with practical examples.