General Manoj Pande explores indigenous innovations at Maharashtra MSME Defence Expo 2024 in Pune, Maharashtra, India, 26 February 2024. Credit: Indian Ministry of Defence.

India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) brought various domestic start-ups together for an ‘Industry Meet’ during the Maharashtra Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) Defence Expo on 25 February 2024.

The DRDO spoke about existing Government initiatives and policies implemented to benefit emerging defence organisations in India as well as address concerns in industry.

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Notably, during the meeting, the DRDO granted 23 Licensing Agreements for Transfer of Technology (LATOT) to 22 companies. The technologies varied across a range of defence sectors, including electronics, laser technology, armaments, life and materials science, combat vehicles, naval systems and aeronautics.

These include Manufacturing of Carbon/Carbon Aircraft brakes for the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft; 100-metre Infantry Foot Bridge Floating; 40-millimetre High Explosive Anti-Personnel (HEAP) Grenade for UBGL; Full Trailer of 70 tonne Tank Transporter for the main battle tank, Arjun Mark 1A; Expendable Mobile Shelter Solar Heated Shelter; NMR-Supercapacitor, Weaponisation of Hand-Held Thermal Imager with LRF (WHHTI); and a High Pressure Water Mist Fire Suppression System (HP WMFSS).

The products based on these DRDO technologies will further boost the defence manufacturing sector and self-reliance in defence.

Licensing deals consolidate a ‘Self-Reliant India’

Addressing industry partners, Dr Kamat noted DRDO’s commitment to provide the means to develop India’s defence industries for realisation of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-Reliant India), as envisioned by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

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Kamat elaborated that the recent success of DRDO products have not only made the country more self-reliant in military technology but also provided immense opportunities to the industries in defence manufacturing sector.

Many countries and their companies have set their eyes on India’s defence industry in the past year. The US established the INDUS-X initiative in which both nations are bridging their capabilities in a spirit of unprecedented technology-sharing and industrial as well as intellectual collaboration.

The Indian Ministry of Defence has also sought to increase the percentage of domestically produced systems across its Armed Forces. Last week, the Indian Air Force sourced another domestic supplier for its ‘Digital Fly by the Wire Control Computer’ for the next iteration of the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft, the Mark 1A variant.

In the spirit of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Kamat emphasised that “the recent success of DRDO products have not only made the country more self-reliant in defence technology but also provided immense opportunities to the industries in defence manufacturing sector.”