Students shine at National Drone Innovation Challenge, secure top-5 Position

Hyderabad: Students of Gokaraju Rangaraju Institute of Engineering and Technology (GRIET) have earned national recognition by securing a Top-5 position at the National Innovation Challenge for Drone Application & Research (NIDAR) 2026, held at Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, from January 10 to 17.

The GRIET team, Search And Rescue eXpedition (SARX – N251751), showcased exceptional innovation in Mission 1 – Disaster Management, winning the prestigious ₹1 Lakh IGNITE Prize for their advanced disaster management drone solution. The achievement places the team among the best-performing groups at the national level.

NIDAR 2026 featured a rigorous three-stage evaluation process, including a business pitch, detailed design and technical assessment, and a live drone flight demonstration, assessing both engineering excellence and real-world applicability.

Organized by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in collaboration with the Drone Federation India (DFI) under the SwaYaan initiative, NIDAR is India’s largest national drone innovation challenge. The competition focuses on developing autonomous drone solutions for critical sectors such as disaster management and precision agriculture.

GRIET attributed the success to its strong academic ecosystem and institutional support. The institute expressed gratitude to the Management, Director, Senior Administrative Officer, Principal, Deans, Heads of Departments, Dean–Students Affairs, and faculty mentors for their continuous guidance. Special appreciation was also extended to AAC students and members of the Drone Club for their dedicated contributions.

This accomplishment highlights GRIET’s commitment to innovation-driven learning and hands-on technical education, reinforcing its reputation as a center of excellence in emerging technologies.