India-Uzbekistan defence collaboration: General Manoj Pande inaugurates state-of-the-art IT lab

In a significant step forward in strengthening bilateral ties between India and Uzbekistan, General Manoj Pande, the Chief of the Army Staff, inaugurated a high-tech IT Laboratory at the Uzbek Academy of Armed Forces

The Army Chief is in Uzbekistan on a visit from April 15-18.

This development marks a milestone in the defence cooperation between the two nations, following a commitment made during the Defence Ministers' meeting in September 2018.


The request to establish an IT Lab was initially made during this high-level discussion, and the project gained momentum with approval in 2019, funded through the Ministry of External Affairs' 'c' initiative.

It has been learnt that the bids exceeded the envisaged budget of Rs 6.5 crore. Therefore, a sum of Rs 8.5 crore was allotted for the project. An Indian firm won the contract, made the lab fully operational well in time.

The IT Laboratory is equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including nine rooms which house two lecture halls, a cutting edge Cybersecurity Lab, a Hardware Programming Lab, an Object-Oriented Programming Lab, a Web Programming Lab, a Server Room, a Multimedia Room, and a Virtual Reality Room.

Additional facilities include video conferencing terminals, interactive panels, networking devices, and an assortment of computing equipment comprising large number of high end PCs, workstations and laptops, alongside essential peripherals like printers, cameras, scanners, and storage devices.

This collaborative initiative is not just a leap in technological advancement for Uzbekistan's defence academy but also a bridge reinforcing the expanding partnership between the two nations, promising a future of cooperation in defence and technology.

The establishment of the IT lab is expected to enrich the training resources available to Uzbek armed forces and foster a deeper understanding and cooperation between India and Uzbekistan in the years to come.