ICMR grants permission for conducting feasibility study of vaccine delivery using Drones in collaboration with IITK

New Delhi | The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has granted permission for conducting feasibility study of Covid-19 vaccine delivery using drones in collaboration with IIT Kanpur.

In a statement, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said that the Ministry and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have granted conditional exemption to the ICMR for conducting feasibility study of Covid-19 vaccine delivery using drones in collaboration with IIT Kanpur.

“Another opportunity for Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur  to serve the nation during these difficult times”, remarked Director, IITKanpur, Professor Abhay Karandikar. He further said that it was delighting to share that the Civil Aviation Ministry has permitted ‘A feasibility study of Vaccine delivery using Drones’. The project aims to come up with a solution for Drone-based Covid Vaccine delivery in remote areas.

Prof Karandikar said that the project will be carried out by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in collaboration with Bharat Biotech, IIT Kanpur and CDSpace Robotics Private Limited. The flight trials will be conducted to check the viability of the transport of the vaccine using drones.

The Drone is developed by CDSpace Robotics Private Limited, a startup incubated at Startup Incubation and Innovation Center, IIT Kanpur under the mentorship of Prof A K Ghosh, Department of Aerospace Engineering.

“The permission exemption is valid for a period of one year or until further orders,” the Ministry said. The conditional drone use exemption has been granted to Nagar Nigam of Dehradun, Haldwani, Haridwar and Rudrapur for preparation of GIS based property database and electronic tax register for a period of one year or until further orders.

The permission to use drones was also granted to the West Central Railway (WCR) Kota and Katini for train accident site and maintaining safety and security of the railway assets for a period of one year from the date of issue of the letter.

In addition to these, Vedanta Limited (Cairn Oil and Gas) also received the conditional drone usage exemption for data acquisition for asset inspecting and mapping till April 8, 2022. “These exemptions shall be valid only if all conditions and limitations as stated for the respective entities are strictly adhered to. In case of violation of any condition, the exemption shall become null and void and action may be initiated by MoCA and DGCA,” the Ministry said.

IANS

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