Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that a technologically advanced military is crucial to protect the interests of the nation.
Inaugurating a two-day DRDO- Academia conclave in New Delhi on 25 May 2023, Singh stressed that for a country like India, it becomes vital to have such a military as it faces a double threat on borders.
“Today, India is one of the largest armed forces in the world, the bravery and valour of our military is praised all over the world. Countries across the world express their willingness to conduct joint exercises with our armed forces. In such a situation, it becomes imperative that we have a technologically advanced military to protect the interests of the country. For a country like India, it becomes very important because we are facing a double threat on our borders,” he said.
Underscoring the significance of the theme of the conclave “DRDO-Academia Partnership – Opportunities & Challenges”, the defence minister said “It is a dire need that DRDO and Academia work in partnership with each other to find solutions to the challenges being faced by us in the 21st century. This partnership will prove helpful in making India a leading nation in defence technologies,”.
Underlying the path to acquire advanced technologies traverses through research and development which plays a key role in the development of any country, he said “We will not be able to adopt new technologies without doing research. It has the ability to convert ordinary substances into valuable resources.”
Elaborating on the importance of the DRDO – Academia partnership, he stressed that the DRDO through this synergy, will get a skilled human resource base from eminent institutions like IISC, IITs, NITs and other universities from across the country as these institutions, nurture a large pool of talented and skilled youth.
“On the other hand, the academia will be benefited from the R&D fund of DRDO that it spends on developing new technologies besides getting access to the advanced infrastructure and lab facilities of the defence research organisation. This symbiotic relationship will prove helpful in further enhancing the start-up culture in our country,” he said.
Singh further emphasised that such technologies developed through collaboration and collective efforts could have applications in both civil and defence sectors. He also urged the DRDO scientists and academia to deliberate on the option of deployment of the scientists of DRDO as faculty in the academic institutions for a specific period, which will give a new perspective to our Academia, whereas the intellectuals of Academia can also serve on deputation as a scientist within DRDO.
On the occasion, the defence minister also felicitated eminent scientists who have made outstanding contributions in the area of aeronautics, armaments, life sciences and naval systems and other DRDO requirements through the grant-in-aid DRDO projects.
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