Bala Aatral Solutions Receives INR 3 Crore Grant from Ministry of Defence to Develop AR & VR Solutions

Chennai, India – Bala Aatral Solutions, a serious gaming startup based in Chennai, has received grant worth INR 3 crore from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to work on two defence startup challenges utilizing Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies. According to the MoD mandate, the startup plans to develop an Augmented Reality (AR)-Virtual Reality (VR) solution for airplane mechanics and a VR-based training simulator for helicopter pilots within two years.

The challenges, which drew entries from hundreds of companies across the country, were announced by the MoD’s Innovations for Defence Excellence (IDEX), a platform for promoting innovative technologies for the Indian defence and aerospace sectors. Aatral was chosen by IDEX as one of a few companies with core competencies in VR and AR technologies. At a recent function in New Delhi, the Union Defence Minister announced the grants and felicitated the company.

Aatral has developed an industrial safety platform that allows it to create customized AR/VR training solutions for employees in the construction, manufacturing, and processing industries. The startup has a team of over 20 software engineers and domain experts who provide best-in-class industrial safety and remote assist solutions. The company provides automotive major training digitalization solutions based on VR and AR technologies in an active partnership with Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts Pvt Ltd. It also collaborates with key players in the aviation industry.

Excited to have been selected for the India Defence Startup Challenges, Prem Balachandran, CEO, Bala Aatral Solutions, commented, “We are excited to have been selected for the India Defence Startup Challenges. It is a matter of pride to have the capabilities to contribute to our defence sector and a great recognition for our AR/VR competencies. Our AR/VR solution for airplane mechanics eliminates the need for the technicians to spend hours reading through manuals with thousands of lines of instructions. The solution will display relevant audio/visual cues for the technicians through smart glass to aid their repairing task. Our VR-based simulator will eliminate the need for a real helicopter for training and evaluation. The simulator will have a virtual cockpit environment to test various capabilities of pilots, such as their emergency response and cognitive loads, serving as a highly economical and effective evaluation solution.”

Stating that the real potential of serious gaming and digital twin technologies lies in their ability to provide experiential learning for users by boosting their muscle memory and knowledge retention far better than conventional training, he added, “We cater to different requirements, from simple fire fighting training using VR for corporate employees to complex flight emergencies on an airplane for seasoned pilots. All forbidden or impossible-to-create experiences can be provided using these digital technologies. We want to be a key player in this emerging area.”

Image Source: Bala Aatral Solutions

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