DRDO chairman invited the private sector to tap opportunities in the defence sector as the govt aims to indigenise several defence items

Hyderabad: DRDO chairman Dr G. Satheesh Reddy on Thursday invited the private sector to tap opportunities in the defence sector as the government aims to indigenise several defence items.

“India is now trying to shift its status from being one of the largest importers of defence products to one of the top exporters of defence items… The private sector can access government test systems and facilities, and for strengthening Indian defence industries, DRDO has facilitated access to more than 1000 patents without any royalty,” he said.

Satheesh Reddy, who is the secretary of the department of defence R&D, was talking at an event after inaugurating a facility of the 70,000-square feet advanced facility of SKM Technologies at Aerospace Park at Adibatla.

SKM Technologies manufactures high precision components and assemblies for companies like Rafael, Pratt & Whitney, Dedienne Aerospace, Dassault Aviation, Magellan Aerospace Corporation, Nuclear Fuel Complex, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, DRDO, BDL and many others.