IIT Guwahati has launched a first-of-its-kind three-month certificate course in drone technology for officers of the armed forces.

The primary objective of this programme is to modernise the armed forces’ operations, provide state-of-the-art skills for drone operations and utilities and facilitate a smooth transition for the armed forces as they consider post-retirement career options in the rapidly expanding drone technology sector, an IIT-G statement said.

Professor T.V. Bharat, head of centre for educational technology, IIT Guwahati, said on Thursday: “IIT Guwahati is offering a certificate programme on drone technology-related course to the defence forces for the first time in the country to skill the armed forces with this upcoming technology and to boost their career opportunities post retirement.”

“The current training programme by faculty from different departments and centres with wide experience would provide numerous opportunities as entrepreneurs or any other technology-based second career to our defence forces,” Bharat said on the upskilling programme.

The current batch has 30 personnel from various armed forces. Junior commissioned officers (JCOs) are availing the first-of-its-kind course and it will be extended to officers of other ranks in due course.

Brigadier Rajeev Kapur, assistant director-general of the Directorate General of Resettlement said the aim of the programme was to enable a “smooth” transition of service personnel “who aspire for a second career in the corporate world at various levels after retirement”.