NEW DELHI: DRDO should be in sync with rapidly evolving technological ecosystem, come up with cutting-edge products, develop ‘niche technologies’, enhance collaboration with private sector and include start-ups in R&D efforts, defence minister Rajnath Singh said Thursday.
Interacting with scientists at the DRDO headquarters on its 67th foundation day, the minister asked them to keep an eye on products and processes being adopted by technologically advanced countries.
The 41 DRDO labs should identify two to three ‘critical projects’ each and complete them by 2025. “By the next foundation year, we should have 100 such projects completed,” he said. He also lauded DRDO’s collaborations with private sector, including providing technologies and free access to patents.
On including start-ups in DRDO’s R&D efforts, Singh said this would promote valuable exchange of ideas and provide an opportunity for the Indian defence sector to come out with innovative technologies according to the changing times.
“DRDO can play the role of a catalyst for other similar organisations, academia, industry, etc., which can help in bringing a technological revolution in the country. A new ecosystem can be created, which focuses on defence as well as dual-technology areas, that can bring about a transformative change for civilian users,” he said.
DRDO chief Samir V Kamat said 1,950 ‘transfers of technologies’ on DRDO-developed systems have been handed over to Indian industries so far, of which 256 licencing agreements were signed in 2024.