DRDO Sanctions 7 New Defense Projects for Private Sector Under Technology Development Fund

New Delhi: India's premier Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has awarded seven new projects to private industries under its technology Development Fund scheme to develop key military assets including underwater launched unmanned aerial vehicle and long-range remotely operated systems. The projects were cleared to boost domestic defence manufacturing. The project for underwater-launched unmanned aerial vehicles is aimed at develop versatile marine battlefield accessories which can be deployed in multiple combat roles, the officials said.

The aim is part of a larger framework of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and maritime domain awareness (MDA), they said. According to the defence ministry, the project has been awarded to Sagar Defence Engineering Pvt Ltd, Pune. The other key projects are the development of ice detection sensors for aircraft, the manufacturing of radar signal processors, and long-range remotely-operated vehicles for the detection and neutralisation of underwater objects. The long-range remotely-operated vehicles will be dual-use systems that will enable detection, classification, localisation and neutralisation of underwater objects while keeping the key assets away from the suspected operational area, the ministry said.

Details Of Sanctioned Projects

The work has been awarded to a start-up, IROV Technologies Pvt Ltd, Kochi. The other projects are the development of a radar signal processor with an active antenna array simulator, development of an Indian regional navigation satellite system-based timing acquisition and dissemination system and an indigenous scenario and sensor simulation toolkit. The toolkit project involves development of an indigenous system for simulator training of pilots in realistic scenarios. This will help in full mission planning and large force engagement, the ministry said.

The project has been awarded to start-up, Oxygen 2 Innovation Pvt Ltd, Noida. "Providing impetus to Aatmanirbharta, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has awarded seven new projects to industries under the Technology Development Fund scheme for various requirements of the armed forces and aerospace and defence sectors," the ministry said.

It is said in a statement that these project sanctions are a testimony to the continuing endeavour of DRDO in nurturing Industries, especially MSMEs & start-ups, in defence and aerospace domains. “The indigenous development of these technologies will strengthen the military industrial ecosystem,” it said.