TEXMiN, IIT Dhanbad, and Aereo Launch Drone-AI Centre of Excellence for India's Mining Sector

New Delhi, In a boost to Mining 4.0, TEXMiN Foundation, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, and drone firm Aereo signed an MoU today to establish a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for aerial intelligence in mining and infrastructure.

Unveiled at the Industry-Institute Interaction 2026 conclave marking IIT (ISM)'s centenary, the TEXMiN-Aereo Aerial Intelligence in Mining CoE (TAaIM) will drive drone tech, AI analytics, and digital tools for safer, smarter operations.

Key Highlights:
*Joint R&D on mine planning, safety monitoring, environmental compliance using drones, AI/ML, analytics.
*Pilot projects, IP creation, commercialization at PSU/private mines.
*Training programs, hackathons, internships to skill up talent.
*Collaborative funding for tenders, global R&D.

Prof. Sukumar Mishra, IIT (ISM) Director, said: “This integrates aerial intelligence into mining for safe, sustainable cyber-physical systems.”

Prof. Dheeraj Kumar, TEXMiN Project Director, added: “It bridges lab innovation to field deployment, enhancing efficiency and India's drone capabilities.”

Aereo CEO Vipul Singh noted: “Combining our drone expertise with TEXMiN’s mining know-how for scalable, data-driven solutions.”

The CoE, under DST's National Mission on Cyber-Physical Systems, aims to transform India's digital mining ecosystem via testbeds, demos, and industry outreach.

About TEXMiN: A DST-backed research park at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad focusing on IoT, AI, drones for "3S Mining" (Safe, Smart, Sustainable).

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