BANGALORE: Bangalore-headquartered BEML said on Friday it would collaborate with IIT-Kanpur for joint indigenous development of pilotless target aircraft (PTA) and tactical unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Both the organisations would synergise respective capabilities and undertake feasibility study, design and development, testing and validation of tactical UAVs and PTA, BEML said in a statement.

"The jointly developed products will substitute the currently imported UAVs and PTA and aims to achieve self- reliance at a reduced cost," it said.

This, it said, would also help foster innovation and technology development in defence and aerospace by engaging various industries, including MSMEs, start-ups, individual innovators, R&D institutes and academia.

"This will enable BEML achieve a quantum jump in defence and aerospace business and provide a big thrust in 'Atmanirbharta' in the defence sector. The potential customers will constitute the armed forces, paramilitary and civilian," the statement said.

Also, BEML announced that it is teaming up with NASSCOM CoE (Centre of Excellence) for artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT)-related areas.

This tie-up aims at technical support for implementation of AI and IoT in BEML products and to set up incubation centre for start-ups, it stated.

BEML's MoUs with IIT-Kanpur and NASSCOM were signed in the virtual presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, among others, the statement added.