A recent report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence has highlighted the substantial financial savings achieved by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) through its indigenous research efforts over the last five years.

According to the report presented in Parliament, DRDO has been able to save an estimated ₹2,64,156 crore as a direct result of its self-reliant defence technology development and research initiatives.

The committee expressed commendation towards DRDO for its significant breakthroughs in advanced defence technologies. Over the past year and continuing into the current year, DRDO has reached crucial milestones in developing next-generation hypersonic technologies and missile systems, underscoring its growing capability in highly complex and critical defence domains.

The report encourages the organisation to persist in its progress to strengthen India’s indigenous defence research and manufacturing capabilities.

Some of the recent achievements reported by the government include the successful flight test of India’s first long-range hypersonic anti-ship missile in November 2024. This development marks a pivotal step in enhancing India’s strategic missile arsenal.

Furthermore, in March 2024, DRDO also successfully tested its first Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology on the Agni ballistic missile. MIRV technology allows a single missile to deploy multiple warheads at different targets, significantly boosting the missile’s effectiveness and deterrence value.

In addition to missile technology advances, DRDO has achieved success in other critical weaponry areas. The very short-range air defence system (VSHORADS) has been indigenously developed and successfully flight-tested, bolstering India’s capability to counter aerial threats at close range.

Moreover, the man-portable anti-tank guided missile recently completed Provisional Staff Qualitative Requirements (PSQR) validation trials with the Indian Army, positioning it for operational deployment.

The Standing Committee further drew attention to defence pension administration, noting there are approximately 6,40,536 civilian defence pensioners and 26,79,645 armed forces pensioners. The implementation of the System for Pension Administration (Raksha), known as SPARSH, has resulted in significant progress in pension sanction and disbursement.

To date, 28.24 lakh defence pensioners have been migrated to the SPARSH system, with over ₹67,388.45 crore disbursed during the financial year 2024-25 up to August. The committee praised these efforts but recommended accelerating the migration process for the remaining pensioners to ensure timely pension management.

Regarding export potential and international defence presence, the report mentions that new defence public sector undertakings (PSUs) have identified major target countries and exportable products aligned with the strategic requirements and future outlook of those nations.

This initiative supports India’s ambition to expand its footprint in the global defence market by leveraging indigenous technology and production capabilities.

The report from the Parliamentary Standing Committee recognises DRDO’s pivotal role in fostering self-reliance in Indian defence technology, contributing both to significant cost savings and cutting-edge capability development. These successes reinforce India’s strategic autonomy and progress towards becoming a global defence technology exporter.

Based On PTI Report