DRDO boosts India's defence manufacturing with 2000+ tech transfers

Kolkata, Jul 9 (PTI) The DRDO has significantly advanced India's self-reliance in defence manufacturing, signing over 2,000 licensing agreements for technology transfer and issuing more than 200 production licenses in 2024, an official said on Wednesday.

The official also highlighted that over 130 industries have been identified as development partners or production agencies in the last five years, bolstering indigenous defence capabilities.

"Over 2000 agreements were signed for technology transfer licenses," Chandrika Kaushik, Director General (PC&SI) of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) said while speaking at the CII Manufacturing Conclave East in Kolkata.

Under the Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme, private industries are actively contributing core technologies, with DRDO providing financial support of up to Rs 50 crore per system along with technical guidance.

Scientists from DRDO labs are closely mentoring these industries to ensure successful outcomes, she added.

The conclave also featured insights from industry leaders, including Sudhanshu Mani, considered the brain behind Vande Bharat, who stressed the need for manufacturing to align with logistics, while Tata Steel's Ashish Anupam noted the eastern region's growth outpacing the national average.

CII's Market Facilitation Services (MFS) initiative was also discussed, aimed at helping Indian industries expand globally.