PODCAST: Australian Defence Industry Awards’ Rising Star of the Year, Gitarth Vaishnav

Joint-capabilities
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By: Robyn Tongol
Photo: Camera Creations

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, senior journalist Robert Dougherty is joined by the Australian Defence Industry Awards’ Rising Star of the Year, Gitarth Vaishnav, to discuss the inspiring award and his efforts as a software engineer in the sensor fusion team at DroneShield headquarters in Sydney.

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, senior journalist Robert Dougherty is joined by the Australian Defence Industry Awards’ Rising Star of the Year, Gitarth Vaishnav, to discuss the inspiring award and his efforts as a software engineer in the sensor fusion team at DroneShield headquarters in Sydney.

The University of Technology Sydney graduate, who was recognised as the AI Rising Star of the Year at the Australian AI Awards in 2024, has completed a bachelor of computing science (honours) and holds a major in artificial intelligence and data analytics.

The pair discuss a range of topics regarding the defence industry and engineering, including:

  • Vaishnav’s experience winning the Rising Star of the Year award and the acknowledgement of the entire defence industry at ADIA in Canberra.
  • His thoughts regarding the evolution of drone and counter-drone technology internationally and domestically.
  • His keen interest in programming and microcontrollers during high school and a chance meeting with DroneShield leadership while he was studying at UTS in Sydney.
  • Vaishnav’s mentors and the people who have inspired and helped along the way at DroneShield.

The pair wrap up the podcast discussing personal challenges and plans for the future.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Defence Connect team

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Listen to previous episodes of the Defence Connect podcast:

Episode 11: THE PROGRESS REPORT: Direct hit over Baghdad – the pilot who outflew a surface-to-air missile
Episode 10: SPOTLIGHT: Subs may be the centrepiece – but infrastructure, workforce and sovereign capability will decide the outcome, with Stantec Australia’s Chris Waywell, Rob Sansbury and Robert Fogel
Episode 9: CONTESTED GROUND: Apathy, complacency and the ‘Lucky Country’, Australia’s predicament is entirely self-inflicted, with Ben Dullroy
Episode 8: SPECIAL EDITION PODCAST: 125 years of the Royal Australian Navy and Australian Army
Episode 7: CONTESTED GROUND: Australian resilience during a crisis and sovereign industrial capability
Episode 6: CONTESTED GROUND: From Tehran to Sydney – why war could reshape Australian property
Episode 5: SPOTLIGHT: Inside Australia’s AUKUS industrial transformation, with Honeywell Aerospace Australia senior director Lee Davis
Episode 4: CONTESTED GROUND: War without borders – the disinformation threat arriving in Australia
Episode 3: THE PROGRESS REPORT: The mission to make military children visible
Episode 2: PODCAST: Righting the ship, balancing the force, with Senator James Paterson, shadow minister for defence