What began as an effort to solve a navigation challenge for drones operating on Mars has evolved into an indigenous defence technology with potential military applications on Earth, India Today reported.

BITS-Hyderabad students Naman Kasliwal and Shiv Patil originally set out to answer a fundamental question: how can a drone navigate in an environment where GPS signals do not exist?

Their research focused on developing an alternative navigation method for drones that could operate independently of satellite-based positioning systems. While the concept was initially aimed at future planetary exploration, discussions with an Indian Army officer revealed a more immediate requirement. Modern military drones can face situations where GPS signals are jammed, spoofed or otherwise disrupted, creating a need for an alternative means of navigation.

This realisation led the founders to adapt their technology for defence applications, resulting in the development of the Beijan Autonomous Navigation Module through their Start-Up, Beijan. The system has already undergone trials at military locations including Secunderabad and Leh and has been demonstrated before the Indian Army's Southern Command.

According to Naman Kasliwal, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Beijan, three modules were subsequently taken to Pokhran for additional field evaluation, while officials from eight other military units have expressed interest in the technology through Letters of Intent.

"We initially set out to solve a very different problem: developing navigation systems for drones operating on Mars, where GPS doesn't exist," Kasliwal said.

The Beijan Autonomous Navigation Module functions as a secondary navigation system that relies entirely on vision-based data obtained from onboard cameras. Rather than depending solely on satellite signals, the system analyses imagery from the surrounding environment and uses that information to estimate movement and support navigation decisions.

Kasliwal explained that the company developed proprietary visual navigation software and optimised it for compact, lightweight hardware suitable for drone integration. "The module acts as a secondary source of navigation that relies entirely on vision data gathered from onboard cameras," he said.

The objective was not only to create autonomous navigation capability but also to ensure the solution remained practical, scalable and affordable for integration into existing drone fleets. Vision-based navigation is increasingly being explored globally because it can provide resilience in contested environments where conventional satellite navigation systems may be denied or degraded.

Moving from a laboratory prototype to a field-ready military system proved to be the most demanding phase of development. The team was required to improve reliability, accuracy and stability while ensuring compatibility with multiple drone platforms. Operational testing in locations such as Leh introduced additional challenges because of difficult terrain and environmental conditions.

"The biggest hurdle was taking the technology from a working prototype to a battle-ready system the Army could actually use," Kasliwal explained.

To address deployment challenges, Beijan has focused on creating a plug-and-play architecture. This approach enables manufacturers to integrate the navigation module into different drone platforms without having to redesign their entire navigation system.

The founders credit their competitive robotics background for helping shape both the technology and the company. During their time at BITS Hyderabad, Kasliwal and Patil were members of the robotics team Thriveforce, which secured second place in a robotics competition at IIT-Bombay against teams with international experience.

Kasliwal described that achievement as a significant turning point. "The incredible technical culture at BITS Hyderabad gave us the foundation and confidence to tackle incredibly difficult problem statements," he emphasised.

The experience of developing complex robotic systems under competitive pressure also helped the team build resilience and engineering discipline, both of which later proved valuable during the development of Beijan's navigation technology.

Early growth was supported by a ₹25 lakh grant awarded through Curiosity-2025 at IIT-Gandhinagar. The company has also received a further ₹25 lakh Curiosity-2026 grant, although the funding is yet to be disbursed.

The navigation solution has been developed largely in India. According to the founders, the software architecture and system integration are indigenous, while the primary imported component currently remains the single-board computer used by the system. Beijan is planning to replace this with a domestically developed alternative as part of its broader indigenisation efforts.

Artificial intelligence and robotics form the foundation of the technology. AI algorithms process visual information captured by onboard cameras, enabling drones to continue navigating when conventional positioning systems become unavailable. The company's wider goal is to make advanced navigation intelligence available as a modular capability that can be integrated across multiple drone platforms.

Kasliwal argues that one of the industry's major gaps is the absence of readily deployable navigation solutions capable of operating independently of GPS across a broad range of unmanned systems. He also noted that relying solely on inertial navigation can become problematic for multi-rotor drones because small positioning errors accumulate over time, potentially causing significant drift from the intended route.

"Our core philosophy is to 'democratise intelligence'," Kasliwal said, explaining that manufacturers should be able to integrate advanced navigation capabilities in the same way they currently integrate standard motors or GPS modules.

The technology has already moved beyond laboratory demonstrations. Following evaluations in Secunderabad, Leh and before Southern Command, the system progressed to further testing in Pokhran. Kasliwal recalled feedback from a Division Commander indicating that successful performance could create a requirement for three to four systems within every platoon.

In addition to the navigation module, Beijan's Prachand Swarm Ground Station software is already deployed with formations under the Indian Army's Southern Command. The company has also developed other applications for Army Air Defence.

Despite this progress, the autonomous navigation module is still undergoing integration and validation before any large-scale manufacturing or operational deployment can occur. To support the next phase of development, Beijan has secured ₹1.7 crore in funding from the AJVC fund. The investment is being directed towards research and development, expanded field trials, engineering growth, product development and preparation for manufacturing at scale.

The company's immediate objective is to integrate its navigation technology into complete drone systems. It is evaluating two approaches: partnering with established drone original equipment manufacturers or integrating its technology into existing drone platforms before supplying complete systems to the Army.

Following integration, additional validation activities will be conducted to ensure compliance with operational military requirements. Beyond drone navigation, Beijan is pursuing a broader vision centred on AI-enabled defence technologies. The company has already tested an artillery firing solution with the Indian Army's Northern Command designed to improve artillery accuracy and precision.

Work is also underway on AI-driven targeting and decision-support systems that could support a wider range of military operations.

"Our long-term goal is to integrate advanced AI and intelligent decision-support systems across multiple facets of military operations, not just flight navigation," Kasliwal explained.

The company's broader ambition is to use AI to improve precision, reduce the number of rounds required to achieve operational effects and enhance the responsiveness and efficiency of military systems.

For now, however, the immediate focus remains on securing final Army validation and completing the integration of its GPS-independent navigation technology into operational drone platforms. What started as a student-led attempt to solve a Martian navigation problem has developed into a promising indigenous defence capability, highlighting how university research can transition from academic experimentation to real-world military applications.

Agencies