Mehar Baba Competition-3 (MBC-3) is a prestigious national-level innovation challenge launched by the Indian Air Force (IAF) to promote indigenous development of cutting-edge Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) technology.

About the Competition

Named after Air Commodore Mehar Singh DSO MVC, the Mehar Baba Competition is an IAF initiative that encourages innovation across Indian industries and academia. MBC-3, announced in February 2025, carries the theme: “Collaborative Drone Based Surveillance Radar”.

The competition invites participants to develop a Proof of Concept for a collaborative swarm of UAS working as a distributed airborne radar capable of detecting, tracking, and reporting aerial targets in a contested environment.

Why Your Institution Should Participate

This is a rare opportunity for faculty and students to:

• Work on a cutting-edge national defence technology challenge.
• Receive development funding of up to Rs. 1.4 Crore per team across competition phases.
• Win cash prizes of Rs. 30 Lakh (1st), Rs. 20 Lakh (2nd), and Rs. 10 Lakh (3rd).
• Co-own Intellectual Property jointly with the Indian Air Force.
• Gain recognition at the highest levels of India's aerospace and defence ecosystem.

Key Dates

Eligibility

The competition is open to Indian citizens, academic institutions, registered entities, and student teams. Groups of college students may participate in Phase-0 and Phase-I without a registered entity. However, teams advancing to Phase-II and beyond will be required to form a registered Indian company.

Collaboration and team mergers are actively encouraged.

Documents

Please refer to the enclosed documents for detailed information:

• Download / View Document 1
• Download / View Document 2