📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / TERECEA
Defence
Himachal Student Sarvesh Sharma Builds ₹87,000 Drone, Wins ₹3.5 Crore Defence Grant
✍️ NDTV
🗓 06 Oct 2026, 06:16 AM
👁 13
Engineering student Sarvesh Sharma from Himachal Pradesh constructed a drone costing ₹87,000 and secured a ₹3.5 crore grant from the defence ministry.
Sarvesh Sharma, a young engineering student from Himachal Pradesh, has drawn attention after building a functional drone with a price tag of ₹87,000. The project, undertaken as part of his academic work, demonstrated a blend of low‑cost design and advanced flight capabilities.
The student’s effort attracted the interest of the Ministry of Defence, which approved a funding package of ₹3.5 crore to further develop the technology. The grant is intended to support prototype refinement, testing and potential integration into defence applications.
Officials said the investment reflects a growing emphasis on indigenous, cost‑effective solutions for aerial surveillance and reconnaissance. Sharma’s achievement underscores the role of student innovators in contributing to India’s strategic technology base.
The funding will be managed through the defence research agencies, with expectations that the drone could be scaled for broader operational use if it meets performance benchmarks.
Stakeholders anticipate that such collaborations will encourage more academic institutions to pursue defence‑relevant research, aligning with national goals of self‑reliance in critical technologies.
The student’s effort attracted the interest of the Ministry of Defence, which approved a funding package of ₹3.5 crore to further develop the technology. The grant is intended to support prototype refinement, testing and potential integration into defence applications.
Officials said the investment reflects a growing emphasis on indigenous, cost‑effective solutions for aerial surveillance and reconnaissance. Sharma’s achievement underscores the role of student innovators in contributing to India’s strategic technology base.
The funding will be managed through the defence research agencies, with expectations that the drone could be scaled for broader operational use if it meets performance benchmarks.
Stakeholders anticipate that such collaborations will encourage more academic institutions to pursue defence‑relevant research, aligning with national goals of self‑reliance in critical technologies.