By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday asked DRDO to move away from a monopolistic R&D model to a collaborative ecosystem, and cooperates with the public sector, private industries, MSMEs, start-ups, and academia.
“Only then will we be able to make big strides towards an ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India),” he said.
To stay ahead of the curve in the present technology-driven world, the Minister stressed on the need to focus on R&D, exhorting the DRDO scientists to think innovatively & quickly, while not being afraid of taking risks. “Technology is changing rapidly. Any tech that is new today may become irrelevant in 4-5 years. Therefore, in today’s times, especially on the battlefield, we must move forward keeping in mind the theory of ‘survival of the fastest’ and not just ‘survival of the fittest’. The country that thinks, decides & deploys technology quickly stays ahead,” he said.
Rajnath Singh urged the DRDO to move beyond the sectors where the private sector has already developed its capabilities, suggesting the creation of a separate wing within the organization that takes risks in sectors where the chances of success may seem low. However, if success is achieved, it will be historic, he added.
Underscoring the importance of reducing the time between research and prototype, prototype to testing, and testing to deployment, Singh asserted that “timely induction in the Armed Forces should be the biggest parameter of our performance”. He pointed out that the DRDO usually focuses on design and prototyping, and production is the role of industries, emphasizing that it is necessary to bridge this gap. He stated that, similar to international models, a co-development approach can be adopted, where the industry is involved from the early stages, from design to production.
Calling upon the DRDO to collaborate extensively with public sector undertakings and the private sector, Singh stated that the time has come to move beyond conventional areas. “For example, Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, which has emerged as a major achievement for us, is a testament to the knowledge sharing between DRDO and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. Many more such achievements await us, but for that, it is essential that DRDO collaborates with academia and share knowledge with the public and private sectors. Government’s support will only be meaningful when DRDO moves away from a monopolistic R&D model to a collaborative ecosystem, and cooperates with the public sector, private industries, MSMEs, start-ups, and academia. Only then will we be able to make big strides towards an ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’,” he said.
Enumerating the results achieved due to the Government’s consistent push towards self-reliance, the Minister said the domestic defence production, which was Rs 46,425 crore in 2014, has grown to a record approx. Rs 1.51 lakh crore. He added that over Rs 33,000 crore of this contribution comes from the private sector, indicating that private industries are becoming partners in achieving the goal of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. He further said that due to the increasing participation of the private sector, India’s defence exports, which were less than Rs 1,000 crore ten years ago, have now reached a record Rs 24,000 crore.