DRDO has developed world-class advanced defence equipment for the three armed forces

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at the launch of the ‘Mission Raksha Gyan Shakti’, which aims to promote Intellectual Property Rights in the defence sector

NEW DELHI: The Defence Research and Defence Organisation (DRDO) should introspect to make themselves more “nimble” towards innovation, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said here today, while stressing on having an Intellectual Property cell in the defence ministry for sharing innovative ideas with manufacturers.

Sitharaman made the remarks at the launch of the ‘Mission Raksha Gyan Shakti’, which aims to promote Intellectual Property Rights in the defence sector. During her address at the event which was held at the DRDO Bhawan, she said, “DRDO like structures have to be on their toes for R&D. DRDO should introspect to make themselves more nimble towards innovation.”

She also stressed on the importance of an Intellectual Property cell to facilitate match making and sharing innovative ideas with the manufacturer from the user point of view. “I am telling Dr Ajay Kumar (Secretary Defence Production) and the DGQA that it is important for the ministry to have this cell to exchange ideas and do matchmaking,” she said.

Sitharaman explained that the defence sector is seen as an area where technical requirements are not easily shared, which leads to people who want to innovate not approaching the defence ministry. “They would go to any other ministry rather than approach defence, because it is difficult to break in and have a dialogue,” she said.

“It is that kind of barrier which we have to break and benefit from young minds. So that kind of benefit which you will derive is available for you. The ministry will have to do more for people who want to innovate,” she added.

The minister also said that the users, in this case the armed forces, should provide ideas about what they want. “You should be giving ideas to someone else to create it. The users can identify the situations in which you can conceive of something,” she said.