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The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) has teamed up with ideaForge Technology Limited to introduce drone-based intelligence into India’s Emergency Response Support System (ERSS), the platform behind the nationwide 112 emergency helpline. The two organisations have formalised the partnership through a new Memorandum of Understanding.
Under this collaboration, C-DAC’s ERSS will be integrated with ideaForge’s FLYGHT platform, an on-demand drone network offered through a Drone-as-a-Service model. The combined system aims to help emergency teams receive real-time information from incident locations before ground units reach the scene. With the country’s current response time averaging around twenty minutes, early aerial insights are expected to help responders navigate traffic delays, difficult terrain, and resource constraints more effectively.
The FLYGHT platform allows government agencies to use drones without purchasing equipment or running in-house drone operations. Various departments across India already employ FLYGHT for urban monitoring, traffic observations, disaster assessment, mapping, sanitation checks, and infrastructure inspections. Its pay-per-use setup makes it easier for public bodies to access aerial data without a high initial investment.
Beyond operational use, the MoU also outlines areas of joint research and development. C-DAC and ideaForge will examine how the indigenous VEGA processor can be incorporated into UAV systems, explore VEGA-based system-on-chip designs for flight controllers, and work together on projects involving autonomous swarm drones, AI-enabled analytics, and advanced computing for unmanned systems. The agreement also includes shared training and development initiatives.
According to Sachin Pukale, AGM of Product Management at ideaForge, connecting FLYGHT with ERSS will make it possible to dispatch drones automatically to emergency sites, giving teams on the ground a clear view of situations they are approaching. He added that the platform is designed to integrate easily with third-party tools and to provide agencies with data-ready insights without the burden of owning or managing drone fleets.
C-DAC’s team stated that this collaboration supports the organisation’s ongoing work in building secure and scalable digital public infrastructure. They noted that the partnership will help ensure drone-generated data is handled efficiently, protected properly, and used for applications such as real-time situational awareness, autonomous operations, and AI-driven analysis.
This joint effort contributes to India’s broader goal of strengthening indigenous digital and deep-tech capabilities under the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission.
Team BharatShakti
