The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) must provide more focus on life sciences laboratories and “must revive work on bio-defence programme,” advised Dr. V. K. Saraswat, Member NITI Aayog and former Chairman DRDO, in an address to scientists on the occasion of National Technology Day, Defence Ministry said on Monday.

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Dr. Saraswat also emphasised on the development of more robotic devices where the DRDO has strong base, the Ministry said in a statement. The National Technology Day is observed on May 11 to commemorate the nuclear tests conducted at Pokhran in 1998.

Addressing the scientists through video conference, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stressed on self-reliance and India becoming a “net exporter of technology”. “The DRDO has developed more than 50 products in the last 3-4 months, like bio suit, sanitiser dispenser, Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) kits and so on through its continuous efforts to contribute to the fight against COVID-19,” the Defence Ministry quoted Mr. Singh as having said.

Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy, Chairman, DRDO, said during the lockdown, the DRDO has developed 53 products to fight the coronavirus (COVID-19) and some of the systems were inducted in record time. He said “delayed delivery is no delivery”.