CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR-NAL), Bengaluru, celebrated the “One Week, One Lab” from 19-24 September 2023. On the curtain raiser day, 02 August 2023, CSIR-NAL launched the JalDost II (airboat for de-weeding of lakes) and the Q-plane (e-VTOL aircraft for border management). This occasion was graced by Dr VK Saraswat, Member NITI Aayog and all the members of the Research Council of CSIR-NAL.
The first day was inaugurated by Ms Gunjan Krishna, IAS, and Commissioner for Industries Development & Director for Industries & Commerce, Govt of Karnataka, on 19 September 2023. The Guest of Honour was Dr Kallappa Pattada, Boeing India. This was followed by the inauguration of the exhibition area in the Golden Jubilee Hangar, Belur Campus, by the Former Directors of CSIR-NAL.
The first session was “Academia/Research Institute to Intrapreneurship & Entrepreneurship”. It was designed to inspire and educate aspiring Intrapreneurs from CSIR-NAL & entrepreneurs with first-hand accounts of individuals who transitioned from academic and research backgrounds to establish successful companies.
The second session was “Scaling the Innovation Continuum: Unleashing the power of the Innovation Continuum”. In today's rapidly evolving world, researchers are increasingly transitioning from the academic/research realm to become entrepreneurs and venture catalysts. This keynote session brought forth inspiring speakers who have successfully traversed this path, transforming their research expertise into entrepreneurial ventures and subsequently becoming a catalyst for innovation and growth. The venture capitalist ecosystem for early-stage deep tech innovations and their perception of the research industry integration were discussed.
The third and final session was “Bridging the Gap: Accelerating the Research to Innovation to Industry Continuum”. The panel discussion explored the critical journey from research to innovation to industry, highlighting the challenges and opportunities of effectively bridging these stages. It provided a platform for experts, researchers, industry leaders, and policymakers to exchange insights, share best practices, and discuss strategies for fostering a seamless transition from research breakthroughs to successful commercialisation.
The second day was kicked off by Dr Girish S Deodhare, Distinguished Scientist & DG, ADA and Dr Naresh Palta, Sr Adviser Aerospace & Aviation, MAINI GROUP, on 20 September 2023. Their talks covered collaboration and commercialisation. The guests also launched a website for indigenisation of components and LRU (Line Replaceable Unit).
This day aimed to present the challenges and opportunities in developing indigenous components/systems by MSMEs & Start-ups for aircraft programmes like SARAS Mk-II, HANSA-NG, HAP & RTA. The respective Project Directors of the aircraft programmes at CSIR-NAL presented the opportunities.
Additionally, the market potential of UAVs & Electric Air Mobility were explored and the transformative effects they bring to sectors such as transportation, logistics, agriculture, and surveillance were discussed. The panel discussions focused on the dynamic relationship between start-ups and research labs, emphasising the collaborative strategies that foster replicable initiatives in the innovation continuum, specifically from Prototype to Production (P2P).
The third session was on the High Potential NAL Technologies for commercialisation presented by the various Cluster Chairmen of CSIR-NAL. The session provided opportunities to commercialise technologies with high market potential by MSMEs and Startups. It also focused on a joint collaboration with risk and cost-sharing partnership in key areas of co-development in aerospace. Technology transfer MoU was signed with select industry partners. The final session was led by angel investors.
The Skill Development Academia Connect was organised on 21 September. Dr Abhay A Pashilkar, Director, CSIR-NAL, inaugurated the event with an insightful address, highlighting the pivotal role of skill development in the Aerospace Sector. Dr Arun Bandyopadhyay, Director, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (CSIR-IICB), in his address, stressed the importance of Skill Development and the various training programmes provided by CSIR-IICB. Director, CSIR-IICB also discussed the development of indigenous ventilators and RT-PCR test kits for COVID-19.
Dr S Ravishankar, Head, Aerospace Skill Development Centre (ASDC), CSIR-NAL, presented the various skill development initiatives undertaken by the organisation. He emphasised the importance of nurturing technical expertise and practical skills among aerospace enthusiasts. He briefed about the various Aerospace Courses offered at CSIR-NAL under the Aerospace and Aviation Sector Skill Council and tailor-made courses provided at ASDC.
Mr Muthukrishnan, Head, Operations, Aerospace and Aviation Sector Skill Council, discussed the specialised skill development programmes aimed at the aerospace and aviation sector, shedding light on industry-specific training efforts.
Mr G Venkatesh, Deputy Director, Regional Directorate of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (RDSDE), in his talk titled “Implementation of Apprenticeship Training Programme and its Benefits”, offered practical insights into implementing apprenticeship training programmes. He outlined the various benefits of such programmes, including skill enhancement, industry exposure, and increased employability. Additionally, Mr Venkatesh provided detailed information about the legalities and different categories of apprenticeships under the Government of India, ensuring a comprehensive understanding for the attendees.
Cmde. CD Balaji (Retd), Chairman, K-Tech Centre of Excellence in Aerospace and Defence, in his talk titled “Innovation and Skilling for Aerospace and Defence Ecosystem”, emphasised the importance of innovation and skilling within the aerospace and defence sectors, exploring the symbiotic relationship between the two. Mr CA Shashidhar Shetty, Chairman, Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association (KASSIA), shared insights into manufacturing skill requirements in his talk titled “Manufacturing Skill Requirements for Job Prospects, An Industry Perspective”, providing an industry perspective on job opportunities within the aerospace and defence sectors.
Prof. Rajkumar S Pant from IIT-Bombay delivered a comprehensive lecture, delving into advanced topics related to aerospace engineering and innovation. He discussed the various spin-offs of space technology that are being utilised in diverse sectors. His session offered attendees profound knowledge and cutting-edge insights into the field, enhancing their understanding of the intersection between aerospace engineering and its practical applications in other industries.
The afternoon session was marked by signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with various academic institutes. These MoUs aimed to strengthen the collaboration between CSIR-NAL and academia, thereby fostering research, development and knowledge exchange as part of the Skill development initiatives.
A captivating live demonstration featuring an Octocopter was organised in the Golden Jubilee Hangar, CSIR-NAL, Belur campus, and this enabled the attendees to witness first-hand the application of drone technology in the aerospace sector. The attendees also took this opportunity to visit the exhibition stalls displaying the various technologies developed by CSIR-NAL.
On the Fourth day of the “One Week, One Lab” Campaign on the theme "Student Scientist Connect”, 119 students and 27 teachers from ATAL Tinkering Lab schools in rural Karnataka attended this programme. A set of seven DIY kits were distributed to each participating school; with these kits, students can conduct more than 40 science experiments in their school. Dr VPS Naidu, nodal officer of Jigyasa, briefed the participants about Jigyasa and its activities.
The Chief Guest of the programme, Prof. RK Pant, Professor at Dept of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, lectured on "Principles of Flight" along with an aircraft model demonstration. It was an interactive session, and students were excited to ask questions. Dr Abhay Pashilkar, distributed the participation certificates to all the students and teachers. Aero-quiz was conducted, and prizes were given to winners and runners. The programme was concluded by interacting with scientists, visiting the technologies and aircraft exhibition, and an octocopter flying demonstration.
Open Day for College Students was organised on the fifth day to create awareness among engineering students about NAL’s achievements and to showcase the latest technologies in the field of Aerospace Engineering & Science. Engineering students from southern states took part in this event, and they enthusiastically witnessed the exhibition and interacted with scientists about new innovations.
The Open Day for the public was an excellent opportunity for the general public to reach out and interact with scientists about the R&D achievements of CSIR-NAL. Around 750 people gathered from various parts of Bengaluru.
