Amaravati: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Director General Tessy Thomas took part in the fourth annual Research Day event organised by the SRM University-AP here on Saturday and asked young research scholars to contribute to the country’s growth by developing indigenous technologies.

Popularly known as the ‘Missile Woman of India’, Thomas elaborated DRDO’s efforts that positioned India among the top few countries in the world with multi-level strategic capability.

These included the Agni series, anti-ballistic missile programs, underwater weapon systems, main battle tanks, multi-range radar systems, electronic warfare, fighter aircraft, Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) and its variants, and airborne early warning and control systems, she said.

SRM Pro Vice-Chancellor D Narayana Rao said India needed to gradually move from a net consumer to a net producer of knowledge as it emerged as one of the world’s largest economies.

He outlined SRM University-AP’s 25-year vision in research and development beginning this year.

“In the next 25 years, the faculty members and research scholars of SRM AP will pursue significant and outstanding research in the areas of water resources and management, blue economy, self-diagnostic medical devices, new-age medicine, hydrogen as a potential replacement of fossil fuels and many more branches of scientific knowledge,” Narayana Rao added.

University Vice-Chancellor V S Rao and other academicians attended the event.

Gold and silver medals were awarded on the occasion to select faculty and research scholars for their research contribution in various thematic areas.