Dire need of DRDO-academia partnership for safety, says Rajnath Singh

Research and development in military technology is crucial to protect the double threat on borders says Rajnath Singh when inaugurating a two day DRDO-Academia Conclave

With an aim to improve the partnership to ensure higher quality research and technology adoption in the military, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)-Academia Conclave was organised in Delhi on Thursday.

The Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh stated that advancing technology for military application was crucial for a country like India that faced a “double border threat”, according to a statement by the Ministry of Defence.

Singh inaugurated a two-day DRDO-Academia Conclave on Thursday, inviting around 350 senior academics across India to better understand the requirements of the DRDO. 

He stated, “Unless we do research, we will not be able to adopt new technologies. R&D has the ability to convert ordinary substances into valuable resources. It has been a key factor in the development of civilisations throughout history.”

Singh added that India had one of the largest armed forces in the world and countries across the world have expressed a “willingness to conduct joint exercises” with India’s armed forces. However, for this to be accomplished, the technology needed to be further advanced. 

Highlighting the need for research and development (R&D), Singh stated that as a part of the partnership, DRDO will gain skilled human resources from eminent institutes such as the Indian Institutes of Science, Indian Institutes of Technology and the National Institutes of Technology, among others. Academia will benefit from R&D funds provided by the DRDO, along with access to advanced infrastructure and labs at the defense research organisation. 

A report by NITI Aayog in 2022 showed that India had one of the lowest expenditures in R&D in the world. Many media reports have also shown the lack of quality research done by higher education institutes in India is a major reason why India’s education sector is lagging behind foreign universities.

This partnership may be a silver lining to academicians should they be allowed to take full advantage of the infrastructure and funds.