HT Digital
GUWAHATI, Jan 29: In a significant step towards strengthening India’s defence and infrastructure resilience, Ajeenkya DY Patil University (ADYPU) and Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati (IITG) have collaborated to establish India’s first Blast and Impact Research Centre (BIRC), a press release said on Wednesday.
The centre aims to develop advanced blast- and impact-resistant technologies to protect both military and civilian infrastructure, making India a leader in this field.
The BIRC will focus on creating solutions to withstand extreme forces from blasts and impacts, ensuring the safety of military bases, hospitals, government buildings, and other critical installations.
Meanwhile, the research at the centre will be guided by Prof. Dr. Nishakant Ojha, a globally recognized scientist and expert in strategic affairs.
Additionally, this initiative will mark the first-ever partnership between a private university and an IIT in the defence sector.
Equipped with cutting-edge technology, the centre will include an Impact and Blast Testing Facility to assess the strength of materials under extreme conditions, a Shock Tube Facility to study materials’ endurance against hypervelocity impacts, and Human Safety Research focusing on injury assessment and safety design improvements through real-time health monitoring systems.
Highlighting its contribution to the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission, Dr. Ajeenkya, Chairman of ADYPU, emphasized that the BIRC will play a crucial role in advancing indigenous protective technologies.
The centre also aims to become a global hub for research and innovation in impact resistance, blast protection, and human safety, collaborating with key organizations like DRDO, BARC, and ISRO.
A major development introduced at the press briefing was SURAKSHA, a Smart Human Armor designed by Prof. Ojha.
This advanced protective gear is engineered to resist blasts and impacts while providing real-time health monitoring.
It also integrates kinematic soft armor technology to track essential health metrics such as brainwave activity, heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature, offering military personnel enhanced protection and safety.
With Prof. Ojha’s leadership and expertise, the BIRC is set to elevate India’s defence capabilities while establishing global standards in infrastructure resilience and human safety technologies.