Bangalore International Airport (BIAL) – operator of Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (BLR Airport) – has partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS), an Amazon.com company, to establish a Joint Innovation Center (JIC) that the development and adoption of digital solutions in aviation.

The JIC will also empower startups to accelerate innovation in aerospace, smart infrastructure, utilities and mobility by providing a comprehensive program offering and a technical platform that helps customers innovate quickly using AWS technology. This is the first JIC by AWS established outside of China and the 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 the passenger experience and creating a 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).

As part of the launch of the JIC, BIAL will also deploy Startup Valley, a startup accelerator program that offers startups an open innovation opportunity to build and accelerate digital solutions in the aviation industry.

Hari Marar, MD & CEO, BIAL. “The new Joint Innovation Center between BIAL and AWS enables us to develop modular, scalable, innovative digital solutions that can benefit all stakeholders in the aviation domain and help reshape air travel in India.”

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 scale phases, help them commercialize their solutions and accelerate the adoption of innovative digital solutions in the country. "