Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) : News and Updates


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Govt sets up expert panel to redefine DRDO for futuristic battles

The central government has set up an expert committee to redefine the role of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the current and futuristic defence and battlefield scenarios.

It aims to reduce Indian military's dependence on imports, as India is the second-largest arms importer in the world after Saudi Arabia. Moreover, its also a move towards Prime minister Narendra Modi's vision of "Aatmanirbhar Bharat" in the defence sector.

On day one of his second innings as DRDO head, Dr G. Satheesh Reddy, who is also the secretary of the department of defence research and development (ministry of defence), constituted the five-member elite panel. Incidentally, the Cabinet’s Appointments Committee had on Monday approved a two-year extension of tenure for Reddy.

The committee is headed by professor V. Ramagopal Rao, Director of IIT, Delhi. Other members include S. Somnath, Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre; Air Marshal Sandeep Singh, Deputy Chief of Air Staff; Dr. Samir V. Kamat, Director General-Naval Systems & Materials (NS & M) and Benjamin Lionel, Director, Instruments Research & Development Establishment of DRDO.

The terms of reference of the committee will be to study and review the charter of duties of all 52 laboratories of DRDO and to redefine the same for both current and futuristic defence and battlefield scenarios. Part of the panel’s tasks will be to minimise the overlap of technologies amongst the laboratories.

The committee has given a deadline of 45 days to submit its report and its chairman may co-opt subject specialists as invitees to specific meetings.

But, defence experts are apprehensive about the new panel, hoping it will not meet the fate of other expert committees, such as the P. Rama Rao Committee.

The committee headed by P. Rama Rao, former Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, had submitted its report in 2008. The report, DRDO’s first external review aimed at restructuring the defence R&D body, suggested that DRDO concentrate only on "core technologies" of "strategic importance" instead of venturing into making juices, mosquito repellents, titanium dental implants and so on. The committee had also suggested de-centralization of DRDO management and making it a leaner organization. Subsequently, on the Rama Rao panel’s suggestion, DRDO’s management was decentralised by merging its 52 labs to form seven clusters based on technology domains such as missiles, electronic warfare, radars, aerial vehicles and underwater weapons.

DRDO has often been criticised for delayed projects and missing repeated deadlines with huge cost overruns. And in absence of self-reliance in defence, Indian armed forces continue to be heavily dependent on imports with over 70 per cent of armed forces requirements are met from foreign firms.

On Monday, a delegation by DRDO made a detailed presentation before Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, identifying 108 military sub-systems and components for development by Indian (private) industry and the DRDO will provide support the process. DRDO claims that the design and development of these subsystems would be done over the next couple of years. This announcement follows the negative list of 101 military hardware from imports, which have to be domestically procured in a phased manner.
 
Am i the only one to think that the performance of DRDO under NDA have been better than under UPA . Did NDA brought in some real reforms interms of work culture / R&D spending / Performance review or DRDO's R&D for many decades is showing fruits now ?
 
Indranil in Twitter has posted about number of airframe orders of nirbhay -25.

We tested 6, remaining 19 is available to use.
But there isn't much we can do with 19 CMs is there.. unless of course they carry nuke warheads
Am i the only one to think that the performance of DRDO under NDA have been better than under UPA . Did NDA brought in some real reforms interms of work culture / R&D spending / Performance review or DRDO's R&D for many decades is showing fruits now ?
Modi's privatization drive. If they don't perform well, they are going the OFB way. Corporatization in this case
 
Am i the only one to think that the performance of DRDO under NDA have been better than under UPA . Did NDA brought in some real reforms interms of work culture / R&D spending / Performance review or DRDO's R&D for many decades is showing fruits now ?
Budgetary constraints minimised from 2012. All these new projects areapproved after that. Cause and effect have a 5 five year gap. DRDO was clogged with stuck projects it's now getting streamlined. Also, the testing infrastracture has improved substantially. There is no dramatic increase in budget or HR reform by this govt. Maybe overall better management.

Modi's privatization drive. If they don't perform well, they are going the OFB way. Corporatization in this case
DRDO can never be privatised.
 
Budgetary constraints minimised from 2012. All these new projects areapproved after that. Cause and effect have a 5 five year gap. DRDO was clogged with stuck projects it's now getting streamlined. Also, the testing infrastracture has improved substantially. There is no dramatic increase in budget or HR reform by this govt. Maybe overall better management.


DRDO can never be privatised.
Obviously not.. But they can be corporatized.
 
DRDO can never be privatised.
wholesale privatization will never happen. But projects or parts of it can certainly be given to private or thirdparty if they have the capability. The very idea of depending on one organization for critical projects is total nonsense, other than budgetary constraint I dont see any other good reason for DRDO to hog all the projects.
 
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wholesale privatization will never happen. But projects or parts of it can certainly be given to private or thirdparty if they have the capability. The very idea of depending on one organization for critical projects is total nonsense, other than budgetary constraint I dont see any other good reason for DRDO to hog all the projects.
Corporatization like OFB.. Govt has majority stake but DRDO is a corporate entity..