DRDO assures all possible support to make India a net `defence exporter’

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Secretary Department of Defence R-D and Chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Samir V Kamat assured all possible support to make India a net defence exporter.

Secretary Department of Defence R-D and Chairman DRDO chaired the open brainstorming session ‘Chintan’ on May 27, in which more than 180 industries participated.

DRDO Chairman assured the industry that DRDO will extend all possible support to them and will play the role of a mentor in building their capabilities to make India a net defence exporter, the Ministry of Defence stated.

The DRDO Chairman emphasised the need to undertake such initiatives on a regular basis as these events provide a renewed impetus to boost the Indian defence manufacturing sector to achieve complete self-reliance, it stated.

A day-long industry interaction and brainstorming session were organised by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) at Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad aimed at bringing all defence industries, including MSMEs and start-ups, to one platform for understanding their concerns while increasing awareness on various industry-friendly initiatives and policies of DRDO.

Director, Directorate of Industry Interface and Technology Management (DIITM) Arun Chaudhary gave a brief overview of various initiatives and policies of DRDO which support the Indian industries, the Ministry of Defence said.

He explained the process of ‘Transfer of Technology’ by DRDO to the industry, bringing out the salient features of the Policy.

He explained the necessity and process of selection of industries as Development cum production partners. The highlights of the Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme were aptly explained to the industry.

He also gave details of DRDO policy and procedures on utilisation of its infrastructure Testing facility and DRDO patents by Indian industry.

The event provided a unique beginning for Aatmachintan and Manthan during the open brainstorming session and a window of opportunity for the industries to express their challenges, expectations and support needed in the current scenario, the Ministry further added.

Discussions were held to create a redefined framework to further the vision of ease of doing business and facilitate the industry.

“The DRDO, in collaboration with the Quality Council of India (QCI), has developed the ‘System for Advanced Manufacturing Assessment and Ranking (SAMAR)’ certification, a benchmark to measure the maturity of defence manufacturing enterprises, including MSMEs,” the Ministry said.

During the event, an overview of SAMAR and the IT-enabled online model for digitised assessment with geo-tagging and time-stamping was also presented. The DRDO is offering SAMAR to micro and small industries at a subsidised cost, the Ministry mentioned.

It further said, “Industry partners from MSMEs and large enterprises as well as start-up entrepreneurs gave presentations on their experience of working with DRDO. They gave valuable suggestions to improve the current procedures and policies and recommended ways for doing ease of business.”

DG, Missiles and Strategic Systems Dr BHVS Narayana Murthy and DG, Production Coordination and Services Interaction Dr Chandrika Kaushik highlighted the need for more synergy with all stakeholders of the defence ecosystem.

The event was also attended by the Director, Directorate of Quality, Reliability and Safety Vice Admiral Ranjit Singh and directors and scientists of DRDO, the release read. (ANI)