Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), an operator of Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (BLR Airport) has announced its partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to establish a Joint Innovation Center (JIC) to drive the development and adoption of digital solutions in aviation.
The JIC will enable startups to accelerate innovation in aviation, smart infrastructure, utilities, and mobility by providing comprehensive program offerings and a technical platform that helps customers innovate quickly utilizing AWS technology.
This is the first JIC by AWS established outside of China and its first JIC dedicated to advancing the aviation industry.
The JIC is expected to open at BLR Airport in 2022 and will focus on driving digital innovation for the airport, enhancing passenger experience, and creating a positive impact on the community where the airport operates. It will help strengthen BIAL’s digital roadmap and develop custom solutions for BLR Airport using a combination of technologies including cloud computing, Blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), analytics, machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and augmented and virtual reality (AR/ VR).
The JIC will support BIAL’s intent to be at the forefront of technology innovation in India’s commercial aviation and create a digitized and intuitive airport for travelers. It will focus on developing technology solutions to enhance the passenger experience across retail, dining, and entertainment at the airport, and achieving operational efficiencies for BIAL. Once implemented, these efficiencies can be scaled to other airports in India and globally.
As part of the launch of the JIC, BIAL will also deploy Startup Valley, a startup accelerator program that will offer an open innovation opportunity for startups to build and accelerate digital solutions in the aviation industry, the Airport City, and related domains. The Startup Valley will provide a structured engagement approach for startups to design, develop, and build their solutions, and test their solutions at BIAL. AWS will provide programmatic support that will match identified startups with mentorship, AWS Credits, technical training, and access to an investor pool. These joint efforts between BIAL and AWS will allow Indian startups to further develop their solutions for adoption and scale.
Speaking on the development, Hari Marar, MD & CEO, BIAL said, “We are thrilled to extend our relationship with AWS to power two of our important focus areas – strengthen our digital roadmap towards making BLR Airport the best destination airport for travelers by leveraging the power of cloud computing and digital technologies, and create an environment for startups to innovate and advance in aviation and related domains.”
“The new Joint Innovation Center between BIAL and AWS will enable us to develop modular, scalable, innovative digital solutions that can benefit all stakeholders in the aviation domain and help reimagine air travel in India,” Marar added.
Further speaking on the partnership, Rahul Sharma, President, Public Sector – AISPL, AWS India and South Asia said, “Modern air travel has been disrupted by the pandemic and is ripe for innovation. We are excited to strengthen our engagement with BIAL to help them explore new possibilities with digital technologies, develop enhanced experiences for travelers, and realize the vision of a digitalized and smart airport. With Startup Valley, our combined vision is to enable startups to transition successfully and faster in their experimentation, development, and scaling phases, help them commercialize their solutions, and accelerate the adoption of innovative digital solutions in the country.”