Chennai, 22nd February 2026: Team Avadhi, comprising aerospace engineering students from the Faculty of Engineering and Technology at JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), secured second place in the Technical Presentation category at the SAEISS Drone Development Challenge 2025–26, held from 20th to 22nd February 2026 at KCG College of Technology, Karapakkam, Chennai.

Organised by the Society of Automotive Engineers - India Southern Section (SAE–ISS), the 11th edition of the challenge featured 86 teams from engineering institutions across India. The competition tasked undergraduate teams with conceiving, designing, and developing a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of carrying a specified payload while optimising structural weight and field deployability.

Representing JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), Team Avadhi included Huzaifa Afzal Ahmed, Rishikesh Bitla, Dhruv Bhandari, Madaka Rakshita, Spoorti Hannikeri, Vrishank S. Chandrappa, Karthik S., Mansi Washimkar, and Deekshitha Puppala, guided by faculty advisor Dr. Allamaprabhu C. Y.

The competition consisted of static and dynamic phases, including technical inspections, design report evaluations, timed assembly demonstrations, and flight rounds. Teams were required to assemble their UAV from a compact container and execute a 360-degree flight circuit within competition constraints. Team Avadhi developed a lightweight blended-wing-body UAV, engineered to carry a 3 kg payload while keeping the airframe under 1.5 kg, and optimised for rapid deployment and structural efficiency.

The event also featured interactions with distinguished aerospace and aviation leaders, including Shri R. Rajendran, Deputy Director General, DGCA, Chennai, and Shri Sundaramurthy T. K., former Mission Director, ISRO, who provided insights into unmanned systems and aerospace innovation.

Participation in the Drone Development Challenge offered Team Avadhi practical experience in aerodynamic design, structural analysis, systems integration, and technical communication, while reinforcing collaboration, problem-solving, and engineering decision-making under competitive national standards.

This achievement underscores Jain University’s commitment to fostering applied learning and innovation in aerospace engineering, enabling students to translate theoretical knowledge into real-world, high-performance engineering solutions.