In a significant step towards advancing indigenous, state-of-the-art, next-generation telecommunications technology, the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), the telecom R&D centre under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has signed an agreement with Trois Infotech for its “Face Recognition Using Drone” technology.

This project focuses on developing advanced drone-based solutions equipped with industrial-grade, long-range cameras optimised for facial recognition, high-accuracy edge processing, and seamless real-time data transmission, the Ministry of Communications said on Monday.

Designed for aerial surveillance, these drones will be utilised in various applications across traffic management, emergency response, defence, environmental monitoring, and more, setting new standards in drone technology for real-time intelligence and decision-making, it said.

Trois Infotech is an innovative deep-tech start-up, founded in 2018 and headquartered in Technopark, Trivandrum. The company, incubated by Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), specialises in artificial intelligence/ machine learning (AI/ML), embedded systems, Internet of things (IoT), smart surveillance, enterprise web and mobile technologies, etc.

The company’s offerings extend across various sectors, with a reach across India, the West Asia, Africa and South Asia, it said.

The agreement has been signed under the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) programme of the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) of the DoT with C-DOT as the implementing agency (under its Collaborative Programmes or CCP). The scheme is designed to fund Indian startups, academia, and R&D institutions, acting as a crucial enabler for the design, development, and commercialisation of telecommunication products and solutions with an aim to facilitate affordable broadband and mobile services.