The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Chairman and Secretary of Defence R&D, Dr. Samir V Kamat, recently expressed pride over the remarkable growth and strength of India's defence research and development sector. He was speaking at the convocation ceremony of the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (Deemed to be University) in Pune on August 9, 2025.

Dr. Kamat described the achievement of record-high annual defence production as a "proud moment for all of us," highlighting it as a reflection of the robust R&D and production capabilities in India's defence domain. He expressed confidence that these numbers will continue to grow in the coming years.

He credited the success to the government's initiatives such as Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India, which have instilled confidence in the industry to produce sophisticated defence systems domestically, with the assurance that the Ministry of Defence will procure these indigenously made systems.

The financial year (FY) 2024-25 marked a milestone with annual defence production reaching an unprecedented ₹1,50,590 crore. This figure represents an impressive 18% increase over the previous fiscal year's output of ₹1.27 lakh crore and a staggering 90% growth since FY 2019-20 when the production stood at ₹79,071 crore.

The growth reflects a strengthened defence industrial base in India. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hailed this achievement and praised the combined efforts of public and private sector manufacturers in reaching this new peak.

On social media platform X, the Defence Minister congratulated all stakeholders, including the Department of Defence Production, Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), public sector manufacturers, and private industry, for their roles in this success under the leadership of the Prime Minister.

The robust defence production backdrop was further complemented by DRDO’s active contributions, having successfully completed 138 projects in the past three years. In the current year, from January 1 to July, DRDO completed 30 projects costing ₹1,859 crore. In 2024, it completed 60 projects valuing ₹3,989 crore, underscoring its ongoing commitment to enhancing India's defence capabilities.

Additionally, the Minister of State Sanjay Seth emphasized the collaborative efforts between DRDO, industry, and academic institutes in driving Directed Research and translating it into applicable technology that addresses the future needs for national safety and security.

To foster this collaboration, a Long Term Directed Research Policy has been introduced to encourage engagement among start-ups, MSMEs, private industries, and academia. This policy outlines guidelines for involving industry as Co-Principal Investigator in DRDO Industry Academia Centre of Excellence (DIA-COE) projects, promoting technology transfer and enhancement efforts that further strengthen India's defence ecosystem.

The record defence production figures and the strategic collaborations between government entities, the defence industry, and academia demonstrate India's rising self-reliance and capability in defence manufacturing and research, signalling a new era of robust national security infrastructure and technological advancement.

Based On ANI Report