IIT Bombay develops smarter bunkers, boosting Indian Army's defence
The threat became real when drones carrying ammunition and missiles crossed into Indian airspace, putting lives in immediate danger.The development of IIT Bombay came at a very crucial time and will impact the preparedness of Indian defence in tough times in the future. Led by Professor Manish Kumar of IIT Bombay in collaboration with the College of Military Engineering (CME), Pune, the team tested these modular bunkers at the Mechanised Infantry Centre and School (MICS) in Ahilyanagar.Lt. Col Bharatbhushan More spearheaded the recent trials, following a major initiative by Lt. Col Alok Dua.
advertisement
MODULAR DESIGN OFFERS QUICK ASSEMBLY AND ENHANCED PROTECTIONThe new bunkers address the limitations of traditional PDs, which are typically built using local materials like stones, wire mesh, cement, and sandbags.These structures are difficult to construct in forward areas due to logistical challenges and lack of resources.Moreover, conventional shelters offer limited resistance to modern artillery and missile attacks.To solve these problems, the researchers developed modular bunkers made from prefabricated ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) blocks and panels.These components are designed for quick assembly, requiring no specialised skills. Each block weighs under 20 kg and fits together like LEGO bricks. The bunkers can be erected rapidly even in remote or high-risk zones.The structure's curved roof panels are a key feature, offering improved protection against aerial attacks. Unlike flat slabs, these curved panels can deflect incoming projectiles and withstand greater impact.
MODULAR BUNKERS WITHSTAND REAL COMBAT CONDITIONSTesting revealed that curved panels offer five times the resistance of flat slabs of the same material and thickness.The team conducted extensive trials simulating ballistic and explosive impacts. The new PDs were tested with real ammunition and artillery blasts to assess structural integrity, resistance to spalling, and fragmentation.advertisementResults showed that the modular bunkers performed significantly better than traditional shelters, even with thinner walls. They sustained multiple direct missile impacts without structural failure.The design is modular, allowing for scalability based on the level of threat. Wall thickness can be increased by simply adding more interlocking blocks.This makes the bunkers adaptable for a range of combat scenarios.This initiative, combining academic research with field-testing, is a step forward in modern defence infrastructure.The modular bunkers not only enhance the safety of soldiers stationed near conflict zones but also allow the military to respond quickly to changing battlefield needs.With growing threats from precision-guided munitions and drone warfare, such innovation could play a crucial role in India's defence preparedness.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
an hour ago
- Economic Times
Artha's Select Fund closes at Rs 432 crore to back top portfolio startups
Agencies Anirudh A Damani, founder, Artha India Venture Artha India Ventures has closed its new Artha Select Fund (ASF) at Rs 432 crore, overshooting its original Rs 330-crore target by 31%. The fund will back the top 15% of Artha's 135 portfolio companies, writing Series B and C cheques of around Rs 20 crore each. ASF plans to invest in 12–14 startups over the next four years across spacetech, fintech infrastructure, premium consumer goods, and applied AI. The fund is designed as a 'capital bridge' for India's missing middle, where many Series A–C companies struggle to scale due to limited growth capital. 'For founders, it means they don't have to run to market every time they want to raise. They already know there's an investor on the board willing to put more capital,' Anirudh A Damani, managing partner of the fund, told ET. He added that since Artha has worked with these companies for three to four years, its diligence costs are lower and founder relationships stronger than traditional Series B/C investors. The firm said Indian family offices and ultra-high-net-worth individuals anchor 80% of the ASF capital, with the remaining 20% from global LPs in Singapore, UAE, Mauritius, Hong Kong, Africa, and the USA. Artha has committed nearly 10% of the close comes days after Speciale Invest raised Rs 600 crore for its third fund, both signalling renewed LP appetite after a tough year. 'Fundraising was difficult for over a year due to the slowdown, but since March 2025, it has eased,' Damani Venture Fund, launched in 2018, was among India's first micro VC funds and now has 33 exits with AUM crossing Rs 1,200 crore. 'The micro VC category that we pioneered back in 2017-18 is now playing out. Family offices and smart investors realise that there is an opportunity for you to multiply your capital because the fund is small,' Damani said, adding that smaller funds have low operating through its various funds, has backed startups such as OYO Rooms, Rapido, Purplle and Leverage Edu. Under the new fund, it has so far evaluated six companies and selected only spacetech startup Agnikul Cosmos, with an investment commitment of Rs 20–40 crore.'We've turned down five others, in some cases, the investment committee wasn't convinced on unit economics or sector fit, and in others, we weren't comfortable with the lead investor. We're a winners' fund, not a follow-on fund, so the scrutiny is far higher,' Damani said. Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. IndiGo's GIFT City unit: Simple expansion or is there more to it than meets the eye? GST cut to benefit; but who gains the most? Good, bad, ugly: How will higher ethanol in petrol play out for you? Why are mid-cap stocks fizzling out? It's not just about Trump tariffs. Stock Radar: This hotel stock is showing signs of bottoming out; time to buy? Logistics sector: Be tactical in the face of head & tailwinds; 6 logistics stocks with an upside potential of over 30% Stock picks of the week: 5 stocks with consistent score improvement and return potential of more than 25% in 1 year History of wealth creators: Everything should be in context, whether it is PE or PEG; on a standalone basis they mean nothing
Economic Times
an hour ago
- Economic Times
Muted IT hiring to focus on skill-driven freshers
iStock Despite soft peddling on hiring mid and senior level employees, software services firms are set to hire cautiously with a focus on skill-driven freshers that is estimated to grow 3-5% compared to the first half (H1) of the year, recruitment experts said. A large part of the new hiring is likely to be focused around junior and entry level positions driven by lesser employee expenses and a steeper learning curve. 'Hiring may remain muted in H2 unless there is a clear uptick in client spending. Lateral hiring will be need-based, while fresh hiring could be calibrated to future deal visibility. Overall, H2 may see 3–5% hiring growth compared to H1, driven largely by demand for AI, cloud, and platform roles,' said Neeti Sharma, chief executive officer at mass staffing firm Teamlease Digital. Sharma said the hiring is concentrated at junior and niche mid-levels with in-demand skills. While the ongoing trade and macro uncertainties have slowed down business demand with cumulative workforce additions by top five IT firms - Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys, HCLTech, Wipro and Tech Mahindra – shrinking to below 5,000 in the April-June quarter. While overall net additions have been on the decline for the past four years from over 53,000 employees added in FY21, stronger deal momentum amid hopes of clarity on tariff policy in the second half of the year, and the need for specialised skills is making outsourcing firms optimistic about recruitment of freshers. For the full fiscal year that ends in March 2026, TCS and Wipro have continued to maintain fresher hiring targets of up to 40,000 and 12,000, respectively. Neck-to-neck rivals Cognizant – Indian-origin US-headquartered – and homegrown Infosys aim to hire 15,000-20,000 freshers each. Cognizant has over 70% of its employee base in India. This comes on the back of strong deal bookings expected to convert into execution sooner than later. For now, experts are unanimous that most IT services companies are focused on optimising costs, improving utilisation, and recalibrating talent for future-ready roles. Peer companies are not expected to follow suit expansively with TCS' July decision to lay off 2% of its employees – around 12,000 there are visible fissures of the slowing or deferred business impact.'Over the next couple of quarters, we expect a measured approach rather than a widespread wave of retrenchments. Hiring is concentrated at the entry level, a strategic move to manage costs and invest in future talent. Companies are equipping freshers with new-age skills through robust training programs,' said Aditya Narayan Mishra, MD & CEO of mass recruitment firm CIEL Sharma added that restructuring is 'more visible at mid to senior levels, especially in roles with lower billability, overlap due to M&A, or outdated tech stacks.'Mishra anticipates a slight uptick in hiring activity in H2, particularly in high-demand skill areas like AI/ML, cybersecurity, cloud engineering, and digital consulting.'With many AI pilots underway, companies will begin identifying the real ROI (return on investment) and start hiring talent that can scale viable projects. However, the growth will be selective and skills-led, not volume-driven,' Mishra said.A Randstad Digital 'India Talent Insights Report 2025' report by showed that AI and ML roles alone saw a 39% demand surge in 2024 despite overall IT hiring declining by 7% due to macroeconomic pressures and global points to a sustained shift that will continue over the next 12–18 months.'Tier-2 cities are gaining momentum, with locations like Chandigarh and Coimbatore leading growth in junior and mid-level IT hiring—driven largely by GCC expansion and distributed workforce models. We expect selective hiring in niche areas, a focus on outcome-based talent, and growing demand for AI-led transformation skills,' the report said. Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. IndiGo's GIFT City unit: Simple expansion or is there more to it than meets the eye? GST cut to benefit; but who gains the most? Good, bad, ugly: How will higher ethanol in petrol play out for you? Why are mid-cap stocks fizzling out? It's not just about Trump tariffs. Stock Radar: This hotel stock is showing signs of bottoming out; time to buy? Logistics sector: Be tactical in the face of head & tailwinds; 6 logistics stocks with an upside potential of over 30% Stock picks of the week: 5 stocks with consistent score improvement and return potential of more than 25% in 1 year History of wealth creators: Everything should be in context, whether it is PE or PEG; on a standalone basis they mean nothing
Mint
2 hours ago
- Mint
Former Kae Capital partner Natasha Malpani launches ₹200-cr fund for new AI startups
Mumbai: Natasha Malpani, a former partner at Kae Capital, has launched Boundless Ventures, a ₹200 crore early-stage venture capital fund to back Indian AI (artificial intelligence)-native startups at the intersection of science, systems and identity. The fund, which has already made four investments, will invest in the pre-seed and seed stages, and its focus spans from consumer AI, AI infrastructure, agent tooling to vertical AI applications in sectors such as healthcare and logistics, and make-in-India hardware and deeptech. 'The first cheque size ranges between $200,000 and $400,000 with reserves for follow-ons and the maiden fund will make 20- 30 investments," Malpani, founder of the firm, said in an interview with Mint. Launched earlier this year, the investor mix includes friends, family and personal capital. The companies invested include SuperHealth – a healthcare delivery startup, Armatrix focused on last metre industrial automation, Piersight – a startup that operates in real-time ocean intelligence via satellites and Knot – an AI-native fashion discovery and logistics platform. The rationale for these investments is multifold. Malpani explained that it depends on the business model, product, and the industry they operate in. 'There are some categories where one needs to show some monetization to prove that there is an addressable opportunity. But there may also be some industries in AI verticals where it takes a long time, and you have to look for other proof points such as technical depth and adoption velocity," she said. In her previous role, Malpani led Kae Capital's generative AI thesis and was involved in companies such as Knot, Grapevine/ Round1, Supernova, BPR Hub and Fondant. Malpani said this is the moment to create a pool of capital to catch the AI disruptors early, as there aren't that many funds specializing at this stage. 'The whole ecosystem is so young. There is a need for funds to specialize in AI as the market is moving rapidly. If one isn't keeping track of what's happening, they could be very quickly left behind, both from an investor as well as from a founder's perspective," she said. 'India is not just catching up, it's compounding. Talent, infra, and demand are aligning, but founders need conviction capital now. If we don't move early, we risk losing the window for India to build AI for the world." Boundless joins the growing list of other early and mid-stage venture capital funds such as Tenacity Ventures, Stellaris Venture Partners, India Quotient, Prime Ventures, Accel, A91 Partners, Cornerstone VC and Bessemer Venture Partners that have launched new funds in recent months, underscoring a revival in the fundraising momentum. Broadly, specialized venture funds focusing on emerging niches have risen in India as they compete with larger sector-agnostic peers, in a sign of growing maturity in the country's startup funding ecosystem. Last year, Mint reported that several specialized funds have sprung up in sectors such as prop-tech, supply chain, media-tech, STEM and climate-tech. While such strategies have existed in the Indian investment landscape for some time, they are increasingly coming to the fore as investors seek to make more focused bets on sunrise industries to maximize returns.
