IIT-Backed Drones Deliver Aid to 1,000+ in Flood-Hit Assam

During recent floods in Upper Assam, including parts of Sivasagar, where communities were cut off by submerged roads and bridges, Drones Tech Lab, a deep-tech company incubated at IIT Guwahati, deployed payload-carrying drones. These drones delivered essential supplies such as food, water, and medicines, reaching over 1,000 people in areas inaccessible to conventional relief efforts. The technology also aided in surveying affected zones and identifying stranded residents.

Founded in 2016 by Ritesh Kanu, Biswajit Dey, and Debajit Deka, Drones Tech Lab aimed to build indigenous drone capabilities to reduce reliance on foreign technology. Their heavy-payload drone, developed at IIT Guwahati, can carry up to 30 kg. For the Assam operation, drones carried approximately 5 kg per flight, covering about 5 km in 25 minutes, a deliberate choice for effectiveness in the conditions, as noted by Kanu.

The company's technology has been deployed in previous disasters, including the 2022 Assam floods and Cyclone Amphan in West Bengal's Sundarbans. Beyond disaster response, Drones Tech Lab has supported dengue control in Kolkata, monitoring at Kaziranga National Park, and healthcare logistics with AIIMS. Professor Parameshwar K. Iyer of IIT Guwahati's Centre for Drone Technology highlights the importance of strengthening the drone ecosystem for rapid disaster response, noting that drones and personnel were deployed to Sivasagar overnight, on the ground within 24 hours. Residents like Dakshina expressed how the intervention showed a new, vital application for drone technology, bringing hope where it had been lost.

Why it matters: Indigenous drone technology provides critical, rapid assistance to communities isolated by natural disasters.

Editor's note: This is an excellent summary that covers all key aspects of the source material, including the company's background, the technical specifics of the drone operations, and the human impact of the relief efforts.