DRDO expands scope of research in cutting-edge military technology

Expanding the quest for homegrown cutting-edge military technologies, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), part of the Ministry of Defence (MoD), on Friday asked leading academic institutions to work on specific technologies needed for future battles.

The DRDO has an existing programme to work with Indian Institutes of Technology, Indian Institute of Science, and central universities.

The Directorate of Futuristic Technology Management at the DRDO announced a revised and expanded list of research verticals and thrust areas across DRDO Industry Academia – Centres of Excellence (DIA-COEs).  

The existing list had 65 research verticals distributed across 15 DIA-CoEs. The reorganised list has 82 research verticals.

The Ministry of Defence said some of the new areas added to the research verticals are compound semiconductor technologies, laser beam-based communication, recycling of materials, software-defined radios, emerging radio frequencies technology, cryptography, and information security.

The realignment and augmentation of research areas include future technology requirements of DRDO laboratories and deep technology research areas, the MoD said.

This development is part of a strategic effort to refine the DIA-CoEs’ research focus and introduce cutting-edge deep technology research areas to strengthen the overall research outcomes.

The new realignment is expected to encourage stronger interdisciplinary, multi-institutional research collaboration engaging industry and academia, minimise duplicative efforts, and maximise resource utilisation across the institutions.

Additionally, it will also ensure that the DIA-CoEs contribute meaningfully to address the DRDO’s future technology challenges and shape the future of defence technology.