Rajnath Singh Calls for Private Sector Leadership in Defence Innovation at DRDO Workshop

Singh assured full government support to help India become a hub of innovation and technology, strengthening its global position.

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh urged the private sector to move beyond mere participation and take a leadership role in India’s defence sector during his address at Twaral, a DRDO-Industry Workshop on Defence Technology Acceleration, held at DRDO Bhawan in New Delhi on October 18, 2024. The event brought together scientists, industry leaders, academia, start-ups, MSMEs, and young entrepreneurs to foster innovation and accelerate defence technology development. Singh assured full government support to help India become a hub of innovation and technology, strengthening its global position.

Emphasizing the Shift to Unconventional Warfare

Speaking about the transformation in the defence sector, Shri Rajnath Singh remarked that modern warfare has shifted from conventional to unconventional, with the rise of drones, cyber warfare, bio-weapons, and space defence. He stressed the importance of Research and Development (R&D) in this new phase of defence to strengthen the sector, lauding the collaboration between scientists, industrialists, academia, and entrepreneurs.

“The private sector must now take the lead in absorbing rapid technological changes and creating new innovations to stay ahead in unconventional warfare,” he added, acknowledging the government's commitment to supporting this shift through initiatives like the Technology Development Fund (TDF) and other government schemes.

Government Support and Technological Advancements

Raksha Mantri highlighted the Technology Development Fund (TDF), which offers up to 90% of project costs, capped at Rs 50 crore, to eligible MSMEs and start-ups working on defence R&D. Since its launch six years ago, 79 projects have been sanctioned, with 18 already delivering successful technological developments.

He also announced the launch of ‘Dare to Dream 5.0’, encouraging the next generation of innovators and start-ups to contribute transformative ideas for defence applications. This fifth edition of the DRDO’s innovation contest aims to support cutting-edge solutions that will help India achieve self-reliance (Aatmanirbharta) in defence technologies.

Recognizing Innovations in Defence Technology

During the event, Shri Rajnath Singh felicitated the winners of ‘Dare to Dream 4.0’, acknowledging their disruptive innovations in various fields, including counter-drone measures, acoustic gunfire location systems, directed energy technologies, and cognitive listening devices. The winners were recognized for their contributions to India's burgeoning defence innovation ecosystem.

The minister called the challenges tackled by these innovators a testament to the dedication of India’s industrial and scientific communities to safeguarding the nation’s future. He also emphasized the need to focus on both incremental and disruptive technologies, encouraging scientists and entrepreneurs to think out-of-the-box.

Launch of Deep-Tech Challenges

In a significant step to push the boundaries of defence innovation, Raksha Mantri launched several challenges aimed at advancing deep tech—disruptive, emerging, enabling, and pioneering technologies crucial to India’s defence infrastructure. These challenges include:

Development of compact electromechanical actuators,

Indigenous thrusters for Yard Craft for the Indian Navy,

High Purity Silicon Carbide source powder for crystal growth, HPM countermeasures and protection technologies,

Digital Twin Framework for Aero Gas Turbine Engine health monitoring.

Handing Over Indigenous Technologies to End Users

Several cutting-edge indigenous technologies, developed under the TDF scheme, were handed over to the end-users, including DRDO and the Armed Forces. These innovations, created in collaboration with start-ups and MSMEs, mark a significant step toward enhancing national security and self-reliance. Technologies included:

An autonomous drone for search-and-rescue in enclosed environments,

A simulator for unmanned ground, marine, and aerial vehicles,

A data assessment system for visual data and gas turbine engine health monitoring, among others.

Strengthening Collaboration and Self-Reliance

The workshop also featured discussions on critical and emerging technologies, with a focus on fostering international R&D partnerships and driving self-reliance in defence manufacturing. Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and DRDO Chairman, Dr. Samir V Kamat, praised the Dare to Dream 4.0 winners, highlighting the importance of homegrown talent in building a strong, self-reliant defence sector.

Shri Sanjeev Kumar, Secretary (Defence Production), Lt Gen JP Mathew, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff, and other senior civil and military officials were present at the event. The workshop set the foundation for future collaborations and innovations, reinforcing the critical role of the private sector in India's defence modernization journey.