Garuda Aerospace Inaugurates AICTE Industry Fellowship Programme to Strengthen Industry-Academia Collaboration

VMPL
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], January 20: MS Dhoni-backed Garuda Aerospace inaugurated the AICTE Industry Fellowship Programme on 19th January 2026 at the Garuda Aerospace Operations Center, marking a significant milestone in India's indigenisation journey in advanced aerospace and drone technologies, while strengthening industry-academia collaboration in line with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047. The programme is designed to bridge the long-standing gap between classroom learning and industry requirements by enabling deep industry immersion for faculty members, with a sharp focus on developing indigenous design, manufacturing and innovation capabilities.
The AICTE Industry Fellowship Programme has been conceptualised to provide structured industry exposure to faculty members, equipping them with contemporary technological insights, operational understanding, and hands-on experience in building Made-in-India products and solutions. The initiative seeks to enhance employability and industry readiness of students by empowering faculty with real-world perspectives rooted in self-reliance, local innovation and India-first product development.
Under the Garuda Aerospace partnership, strong interest was witnessed nationwide, with 168 candidates applying for the fellowship, 122 scrutinised and 64 selected by Garuda, of which 48 are currently being onboarded. The fellows will undergo a one-year immersive programme working closely with Garuda Aerospace's engineering, R&D and operations teams, contributing directly to the development of indigenous drone platforms, defence systems and next-generation aerial technologies.
Commenting on the launch, Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Founder & CEO, Garuda Aerospace, said, "Indigenisation is not just a policy priority, but a national responsibility. Through the AICTE Industry Fellowship Programme, we are creating a strong pipeline of academic talent that is deeply integrated into the process of designing, building and scaling indigenous technologies. This collaboration ensures that classrooms become incubators of India's self-reliant aerospace future."
During the event, Dr Perumal Pillai, Head & Director of AICTE-IFP, stressed the need for Industry-Institute interaction and encouraged participants to focus on patentable, marketable and product-oriented projects that contribute directly to indigenous innovation. He highlighted that this industrial exposure will enable faculty members to guide students towards developing India-made, industry-ready solutions, thereby effectively bridging the gap between Industry and Academia.
Fellows will be evaluated periodically by the industry, and upon successful completion, will receive certification highlighting the skills acquired, innovations undertaken and contributions made during the programme. By hosting fellows across high-impact domains including advanced computing, space and defence, smart mobility, manufacturing and Industry 4.0, Garuda Aerospace aims to accelerate India's transition into a globally competitive, self-reliant technology powerhouse.
The inauguration of this programme reinforces Garuda Aerospace's role as a catalyst in driving indigenisation, nurturing a future-ready workforce and strengthening the backbone of India's technical education ecosystem.
About Garuda Aerospace
Garuda Aerospace is India's leading drone tech start-up focused on disrupting two major multi-billion-dollar sectors, Precision Agri Tech and Industry 4.0 upgradation. Garuda Aerospace is asset-light, recession-proof, and agnostic and focuses on eliminating labourers in the agricultural field with drones focusing on designing, building, and customisation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
For more details about the company, Visit- https://www.garudaaerospace.com/
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