AI Startup Ingenious Research Develops Facial Recognition System Under Defence Ministry’s Fund

India may soon upgrade the defence, law enforcement, corporate and public infrastructure with an indigenous AI authentication system built by Noida-based startup Ingenious Research Solutions.

The startup has developed an AI tool called ‘Divya Drishti’ that integrates facial recognition of individuals based on their physiological parameters such as gait and skeleton, the Ministry of Defence said.

The defence ministry said that the AI tool, developed in collaboration with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), can offer enhanced security and reliability in personal identification of individuals.

“This dual approach enhances the accuracy of identification, minimising the risk of false positives or identity fraud and has versatile applications across diverse sectors including defence, law enforcement, corporate and public infrastructure,” the statement added. 

Commenting on the development, Samir V Kamat, secretary, of department of defence R&D and chairman of DRDO, said that Divya Drishti was developed under the Technology Development Fund (TDF) and is a testament to DRDO’s commitment to promote startups in defence and aerospace industry to achieve the vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.

The TDF is a scheme of the defence ministry, being executed by the DRDO, which aims to help private players, MSMEs, and startups by providing them funding and technical assistance for creating new tools and technology for the defence industry.

Founded in 2022 by Dr. Shivani Verma, Ingenious Research develops AI-based solutions and cognitive technology for the defence sector. The startup rose to fame after winning ‘Dare to Dream Innovation Contest 2.0’, a pan India theme-based contest organised by the DRDO. 

Ingenious Research claims that Divya Drishti can achieve 95% accuracy even in challenging conditions such as obscured faces and low-light conditions.

The startup’s other offerings include instant facial recognition system, autonomous unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), satellite image (optical/SAR) analysis system, drone detection and tracking system, among others.

The development comes at a time when defence tech startups are on the rise in the country, leveraging drones, AI, image analytics, and robotics to strengthen India’s homegrown defence industry.

With the government also increasingly focussing on homegrown solutions, these startups are seeing high interest from investors. 

Earlier this year, drone manufacturer NewSpace Research & Technologies bagged $52 Mn in a bridge round. In the same month, deeptech startup Big Bang Boom Solutions received an order worth over INR 200 Cr from the Indian armed forces for its drone technology.

As per a report, the Indian aerospace and defence industry is expected to reach a size of $70 Bn by 2030.