The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) recently organised an ‘Anusandhaan Chintan Shivir’, with the primary goal of encouraging the development of Defence R-D within the industry and academia. The event held in Delhi was attended by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan as the Chief Guest, and it identified 75 technology priority areas in defence that could benefit the industry. These areas were divided into 403 technological categories, which were further classified into 1,295 current and future technology development tasks. The DRDO Technology Foresight 2023 documenting all areas, categories, and technology development activities were also unveiled.
The 75 technology priority areas list will boost the defence manufacturing sector by encouraging innovation and indigenisation of defence technology to enable India to become self-reliant in this sector. Moreover, it promotes the design and development of military technology within the country by fostering engagement among industry and academia. Speaking at the event, Chief of Defence Staff urged the development of indigenous defence technology to strengthen the armed forces.
DRDO’s Chairman and Secretary for Defence R-D, Dr Samir V Kamat emphasised the need to work together with industry and academia to take technologies from low to advanced levels that could be applied for bulk production. The Director General (Technology Management), Dr Subrata Rakshit, Director IIT Delhi, Prof. Rangan Banerjee, and Executive VP, L-T Shri Arun Ramchandani, shared DRDO, industry, and academia perspectives on Defence R-D.
The DRDO is engaged in the development of defence technologies across different disciplines such as engineering systems, naval systems, training information systems, among others. It interacts with various stakeholders, including industry and academia to foster cooperation in technology development, as achieving self-reliance in critical defence technologies and systems is one of its primary goals.
The DRDO has released its 75 technology priority areas, which will provide a much-needed fillip to the defence manufacturing sector. India’s self-reliance in critical defence technologies and systems remains one of the core goals of the DRDO. It aims to achieve this by developing state-of-the-art equipment and weapon systems through its network of laboratories and innovation centres. By interacting closely with industry and academia, the DRDO is confident of achieving its objectives and creating a thriving ecosystem for defence R-D in India.
