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The DRDO was established in 1958 by combining the Defence Science Organisation and some of the technical development establishments. A separate Department of Defence Research and Development was formed in 1980, which later administered DRDO and its almost 30 laboratories and establishments (there were almost 52 labs before merging). Most of the time, the Defence Research and Development Organisation was treated as if it were a vendor and the Army Headquarters or the Air Force Headquarters were the customers. Because the Army and the [[Indian Air Force|Air Force]] themselves did not have any design or construction responsibility, they tended to treat the designer or Indian industry at par with their corresponding designer in the world market. If they could get a [[MiG-21]] from the world market, they wanted a MiG-21 from DRDO.{{cn|date=September 2023}}
Beginning in the 1970s, the Indian Air Force launched a
DRDO started its first major project in [[surface-to-air missile]]s (SAM) known as [[Project Indigo]] in the 1960s. Indigo was discontinued in later years without achieving full success. Project Indigo led [[Project Devil]], along with Project Valiant, to develop short-range SAM and [[ICBM]] in the 1970s. Project Devil itself led to the later development of the [[Prithvi (missile)|Prithvi]] missile under the [[Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme]] (IGMDP) in the 1980s. IGMDP was an Indian [[Ministry of Defence (India)|Ministry of Defence]] programme between the early 1980s and 2007 for the development of a comprehensive range of missiles, including the [[Agni missile]], Prithvi ballistic missile, [[Akash missile]], [[Trishul missile]] and [[Nag Missile]]. In 2010, the defence minister [[A. K. Antony]] ordered the restructuring of the DRDO to give a major boost to defence research in the country and to ensure effective participation of the private sector in defence technology. The key measures to make DRDO effective in its functioning include the establishment of a Defence Technology Commission with the defence minister as its chairman.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.defencetalk.com/mod-announces-major-drdo-restructuring-plan-26384/ |title=MoD Announces Major DRDO Restructuring Plan | Defence & Security News at DefenceTalk |publisher=Defencetalk.com |date=17 May 2010 |access-date=31 August 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101129020637/http://www.defencetalk.com/mod-announces-major-drdo-restructuring-plan-26384/ |archive-date=29 November 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.defpro.com/news/details/15208/ |title=defence.professionals |publisher=defpro.com |access-date=31 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515212759/http://www.defpro.com/news/details/15208/ |archive-date=15 May 2011}}</ref> The programmes which were largely managed by DRDO have seen considerable success with many of the systems seeing rapid deployment as well as yielding significant technological benefits. Since its establishment, DRDO has created other major systems and critical technologies such as aircraft avionics, [[UAV]]s, small arms, artillery systems, EW Systems, tanks and armoured vehicles, sonar systems, command and control systems and missile systems.
In 2024, DRDO tested India's first long-range [[Hypersonic weapon|hypersonic missile]], that is able to carry conventional and [[Nuclear weapon|nuclear]] warheads to a distance exceeding 1,500 km at a 3 km per second speed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rout |first=Hemant Kumar |date=2024-12-01 |title=India first to develop long-range hypersonic missile: Defence experts |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2024/Dec/01/india-first-to-develop-long-range-hypersonic-missile-defence-experts |access-date=2024-12-04 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> In June 2025, DRDO put forward an offer for 28 of its designed and developed weapon systems for emergency procurement to the Indian Armed Forces, which included various types of DRDO designed and developed missiles and ammunition.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=23 June 2025 |title=DRDO offers 28 indigenous weapon systems to Army for emergency procurement |url=https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/drdo-offers-28-indigenous-weapon-systems-to-army-for-emergency-procurement-125062301073_1.html |access-date=26 June 2025 |website=Business Standard}}</ref> DRDO also gave the names of the agencies that produce the 28 products from which the Indian Armed Forces can procure the weapon systems.<ref name=":4" /> On August 23, 2025, DRDO successfully conducted the maiden flight test of the Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS) off the Odisha [[File:DRDO Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS) maiden flight test, Odisha, August 2025.webm|thumb|Maiden flight-tests of the Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS) conducted by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) off the coast of Odisha in August 2025.]] This multi-layered air defence platform integrates indigenous components such as QRSAM, VSHORADS, and a Directed Energy Weapon.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-08-24 |title='Multi-layered shield': India successfully tests maiden flight of Integrated Air Defence Weapon system; watch |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/multi-layered-defence-shield-india-successfully-tests-maiden-flight-of-integrated-air-defence-weapon-system-watch/articleshow/123480411.cms |access-date=2025-08-24 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>
=== Plans for reforms ===
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