Bangalore Airport and AWS announce joint innovation centre

Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) – operator of Bangalore International Airport (BLR Airport) – is working with Amazon Web Services (AWS), an Amazon.com company, to establish a Joint Innovation Centre (JIC) that will drive the development and adoption of digital solutions in aviation. The JIC will also enable start-ups to accelerate innovation in aviation, smart infrastructure, utilities, and mobility by providing comprehensive programme offerings and a technical platform that helps customers innovate quickly utilising 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 positive impact for 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 digitised and intuitive airport for passengers. 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 programme 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.

“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 passengers 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,” said Hari Marar, MD and CEO, BIAL. “The new Joint Innovation Centre 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.”

“Modern air travel has been disrupted by the COVID-19 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 travellers, and realise the vision of a digitalised and smart airport,” commented Rahul Sharma, President, Public Sector – AISPL#, AWS India, and South Asia. “With Startup Valley, our combined vision is to enable startups to transition successfully and faster in their experimentation, development, and scaling phases, help them commercialise their solutions, and accelerate the adoption of innovative digital solutions in the country.”