Big news for India – India’s first passenger drone on display at the Republic Day. India’s is entering the futuristic zone with new innovations. Drones always create the awe-moment whenever seen flying around. So, here is another big feather on the caps. The first passenger drone Varuna, built by the Navy by Pune-based Sagar Defence Engineering, is being showcased on the Navy tableau during Republic Day parade on Kartavya Path on Thursday. The Navy’s ‘Make in India’ activities are highlighted in the tableau’s main segment and India’s first passenger drone Varuna underlines the importance of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ mission.
Captain Nikunj Parashar, co-founder and MD, along with co-founder and vice-president (business development) Mridul Babbar and director Lakshay Dang are spearheading the drone program. The drone can be used for medical evacuation, cargo logistics between ships and for the last-mile delivery, both on land and at sea. Varuna can also be used on land operations and for deploying soldiers in frontline areas.
Crediting ‘Nari Shakti’ for the drone development, Mridul told, “The lead software architecture for Varuna has been developed by our core women team members.” He said, “The key objective of developing Varuna for the Navy is for transporting sailors or cargo between two warships sailing together at constant speed on high seas during emergencies. Usually, shifting men and material between two moving ships on high seas is quite challenging and it is currently done through either ropes or by helicopters. But Varuna will make this transportation process quite easy”.
On its safety mechanism, Mridul said, “The drone works on artificial intelligence and has four brains. If one brain stops working, the commands fed into it automatically switch over to the second brain. If all four brains stop working during its flight, then the ballistic parachute opens up and the passenger travelling on it is safely rescued.” He said the company has applied for a patent and is also generating a lot of interest from private and foreign companies.
For us at Planet-Goa, our team is driven by that feeling of exhilaration that one gets when discovering that something ‘unique’ and ‘new’ about Goa for our ever-so-discerning readers.
Author:Planet Goa Team
For us at Planet-Goa, our team is driven by that feeling of exhilaration that one gets when discovering that something ‘unique’ and ‘new’ about Goa for our ever-so-discerning readers.
