Defence Research and Development Organisation: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 00:54, 15 April 2025

Revision as of 06:33, 5 May 2025

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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 covert effort to develop and indigenise ground-based radar systems to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers. Working alongside DRDO labs like LRDE, the IAF helped shape indigenous radar programs such as the Indra and Rohini series. This quiet but determined initiative laid the groundwork for India’s broader air defence modernisation.<ref>{{cite web |last=Gupta |first=Anchit |title=The Audacious Secret Story of Indian Air Force’s Radar Indigenisation Program |url=https://iafhistory.in/2024/11/12/the-audacious-secret-story-of-indian-air-forces-radar-indigenisation-program/ |website=IAFHistory |date=12 November 2024 |access-date=5 May 2025}}</ref>

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 &#124; 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.