Raksha Rajya Mantri Reviews DRDO's Pioneering Initiatives with Private Sector

Raksha Rajya Mantri Sanjay Seth visited DRDO Bhawan and was briefed on collaborations with private sector, MSMEs, and academia focusing on AI, robotics, and cybersecurity. The visit also highlighted key ongoing projects, recent achievements, and future plans aimed at enhancing India's defence capabilities.

Raksha Rajya Mantri Sanjay Seth made a significant visit to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Bhawan in New Delhi on Wednesday. During the visit, he was apprised of DRDO's extensive collaborations with the private sector, MSMEs, and academia, specifically targeting advancements in artificial intelligence, robotics, and cybersecurity.

Secretary Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO, Dr Samir V Kamat, provided Seth with a detailed presentation on recent achievements, major ongoing projects, and future roadmap. Highlights of DRDO's cutting-edge technologies and systems currently in use by the Armed Forces and those under development were also shared.

In a press release by the Ministry of Defence, it was disclosed that DRDO's initiatives include significant engagements with private sector industries, MSMEs, and academia on deep tech areas such as unmanned systems and advanced materials, targeting rapid innovation to enhance defence capabilities. The Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme is notably encouraging private industries, especially start-ups and MSMEs, to create a robust ecosystem aimed at 'Aatmanirbharta' in defence.

DRDO's efforts to involve industries from early stages of system development, including making DRDO patents available and providing academia with extramural research grants, were also outlined. Recently, DRDO awarded seven new projects to industries under the TDF scheme to meet various requirements of the Armed Forces and aerospace sectors, a testament to its continuing support of local industries.

The Indigenous Scenario and Sensor Simulation Toolkit project and the Underwater Launched Unmanned Aerial Vehicle project are among the pioneering initiatives aimed at enhancing military capabilities. These projects have been awarded to start-ups such as Oxygen 2 Innovation Pvt Ltd and Sagar Defence Engineering Pvt Ltd, respectively.

Other notable projects include the development of long-range remotely operated vehicles for underwater object neutralisation, an ice detection sensor for aircraft, and a radar signal processor with an active antenna array simulator, assigned to innovative start-ups and industries such as IROV Technologies Pvt Limited and Craftlogic Labs Pvt Ltd.

Additional advancements include the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System-based timing acquisition system and graphene-based smart textiles for multifunctional wearable applications, exemplifying DRDO's commitment to indigenous technological innovation. These projects have been awarded to leading companies such as Accord Software and Systems Pvt Ltd and Alohatech Private Limited.

(With inputs from agencies.)