New Delhi, July 24 (Agency) Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth on Wednesday said that Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) should aim to make the country a global leader in futuristic defence technologies. The Minister while addressing the officials during his visit to DRDO here, appreciated the commitment and dedication of DRDO scientists in making the country self-reliant, an official statement said. He also appreciated the DRDO initiatives to promote the participation of academia and industry in defence technologies. Meanwhile, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Samir V Kamat gave him a detailed presentation on the recent achievements, major ongoing projects and the future roadmap.
He was also apprised about the DRDO developed cutting-edge state-of-the-art technologies and systems being used by the Armed Forces and those under development. The Minister was also briefed about the various collaborations of DRDO with private sector industry, MSMEs and academia to focus on deep tech areas like Artificial Intelligence, robotics, cyber security, unmanned systems, advanced materials including dual use technology, where rapid innovation can significantly enhance defence capabilities. He was also apprised about how the Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme is encouraging the participation of private industries, especially start-ups and MSMEs, to create an ecosystem aimed at enhancing the capabilities in cutting-edge technology and promoting ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence.