Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh Marks DRDO's 67th Foundation Day, Lauds Indigenous Innovation & Defence Strengthening

New Delhi – Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh visited the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) headquarters in New Delhi on January 2, 2025, to mark the 67th Foundation Day of the institution. During the visit, he met with senior scientists and officials, offering his appreciation for DRDO's contributions to India's defence sector.

In his address, Raksha Mantri commended DRDO for its successful development of indigenous technologies and equipment, which have strengthened the Armed Forces and enhanced India's defence capabilities. He also acknowledged DRDO's collaboration with the private sector in advancing these efforts.

Emphasizing that 2025 has been declared the "Year of Reforms," Raksha Mantri outlined DRDO’s pivotal role in helping the nation achieve its goals. He urged DRDO to stay ahead of the curve by aligning with the evolving technological landscape and consistently developing cutting-edge, niche products. Raksha Mantri encouraged the organisation to examine global trends in technology adoption and focus on the development of critical, future-ready technologies. He also proposed that each of DRDO’s laboratories should aim to complete 2-3 critical projects by 2025, with the goal of reaching 100 completed projects by the next Foundation Day.

Highlighting DRDO’s growing collaboration with the private sector, Raksha Mantri urged the organisation to expand its outreach by providing more technologies and offering free access to its patents. He stressed that India's progress relies on strong cooperation between all stakeholders. He also called for the inclusion of start-ups in DRDO's R&D efforts, suggesting that monthly open days should be held at DRDO labs to foster greater interaction with industry and academia.

Further, Raksha Mantri suggested that DRDO could serve as a catalyst for other organisations, industry players, and academic institutions, helping create an ecosystem focused on both defence and dual-technology applications. This, he said, could significantly benefit civilian users as well.

Dr. Samir V. Kamat, Secretary of the Department of Defence R&D and Chairman of DRDO, briefed Raksha Mantri on the organisation's ongoing research and development initiatives. He highlighted the 1,950 Transfer of Technologies (ToTs) DRDO has handed over to Indian industries, including 256 licensing agreements signed in 2024. Dr. Kamat also noted the expansion of DRDO’s test facilities for private industries and public sector enterprises, with over 18,000 tests conducted over the past three years.

On the occasion, Raksha Mantri also felicitated the design team behind the Long Range Hypersonic Anti Ship Missile for their outstanding contributions to defence innovation.