- Industry outreach in Delhi strengthens aatmanirbhar mission
- New ToT policy, start-up push & ₹500-cr tdf boost to accelerate indigenous R&D
- Govt details major schemes, funding & collaboration frameworks in Parliament
NE DEFENCE BUREAU
NEW DELHI, DEC 2
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) advanced its Aatmanirbharta drive with a major Industry Outreach Programme held at DRDO Bhawan on Monday, bringing together 220 scientists from 18 laboratories and 271 leaders from India’s defence manufacturing ecosystem. The event showcased the Government’s intensified push to expand indigenous R&D, deepen industry partnerships and accelerate defence manufacturing capabilities.
Secretary, Defence R&D and DRDO Chairman Samir V Kamat was the Chief Guest, while Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar joined as Guest of Honour. A key announcement during the event was the release of DRDO’s new procedure for implementing the ‘ToT Policy – 2025’, aimed at simplifying technology transfer and boosting collaboration with industry.
An open house session became the highlight of the programme, with industry representatives raising concerns and suggestions related to indigenisation challenges, PSU–private sector interfaces and production efficiencies. Senior DRDO experts and the Secretary (Defence Production) engaged directly with participants, promising structured solutions to support faster, scalable and globally competitive defence production.
Setting the tone, DG (Production Coordination & Services Interaction) Chandrika Kaushik emphasised India’s transition from a major importer to an emerging net exporter of defence systems. She encouraged industries to invest in sustained R&D and strengthen long-term collaboration with DRDO.
In his address, the DRDO Chairman expressed confidence that government policies will mature significantly in the next five years, enabling the defence industrial ecosystem to grow manifold. He highlighted multiple opportunities for private and public-sector companies in meeting the technology needs of the Armed Forces.
GOVT LISTS MAJOR R&D BOOSTERS FOR DEFENCE SECTOR
In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth outlined a comprehensive suite of initiatives driving R&D in defence manufacturing:
- Development-cum-Production Partner (DcPP) model for identifying manufacturing partners across public and private sectors.
- Zero-fee DRDO Technology Transfers, supported by over 2,000 partner industries.
- Free access to DRDO patents for domestic companies.
- Technology Development Fund (TDF) with an additional ₹500 crore corpus focused on deep-tech; 26 technologies developed and two flown aboard PSLV missions.
- New Start-up Policy to streamline engagement with emerging defence innovators.
- Four editions of ‘Dare to Dream’, fostering innovation among start-ups and individual technologists.
- World-class DRDO test facilities opened to industry via the Defence Testing Portal.
- Industry Interaction Groups (IIGs) established in labs.
- 25% of Defence R&D budget opened for industry, academia and start-ups.
- Extramural Research programmes to strengthen academic partnerships.
- 15 DRDO–Industry–Academia Centres of Excellence steering development in 82 advanced technology domains.
- Active collaboration with UP and Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridors.
- iDEX ecosystem, providing grants and structured support for defence innovation.
- 70 ‘Make’ category projects approved in the last three years under DAP-2020.
Over the past three years, 148 new DRDO R&D projects have been sanctioned. Budget allocations for Defence R&D reflect consistent growth:
2022–23: ₹20,585.78 cr (Actual)
2023–24: ₹22,927.50 cr (Actual)
2024–25: ₹24,696.94 cr (Actual)
2025–26: ₹26,816.82 cr (BE)
The convergence of expansive government policy, DRDO–industry collaboration and innovation-driven funding mechanisms signals a decisive phase in India’s journey toward defence self-reliance and global competitiveness.
