DEFEXPO 2020: DRDO hands over licenses for ToT to 17 industries

The partnership with DRDO is expected to provide impetus to further boost the development of the defense production corridor in Uttar Pradesh.

In DEFEXPO 2020, during the MoU signing ceremony titled 'Bandhan', DRDO handed over 15 licenses for ToT (LATOT) to 17 industries on DRDO developed technologies. This would enhance cooperation and synergy between industry and Government organisations. The technologies transferred are from the area of electronics, laser technology, armaments, life sciences, materials science, combat vehicles, naval systems, aeronautics, sensors, etc. These products are Mine Field Marking Equipment MK-II (MFME MK-II), e-Nasika, DMS HIDEN Fuel-I, Bi-Modular Charge System (BMCS), 500kg General Purpose Bomb, 250kg Pre Fragmented Bomb, Electronic Fuze for 81mm Mortar Bomb, Post Impact Delay Fuze for Air Delivery Bomb, Vehicle Mounted ECM System, IR Flare for CMDS, Process Monitoring of Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Moulding (VARTM), Man mounted cooling system, Optical Target Locator 600 (OTL 600), High Power Li-ion Battery Technology (HPLBT) and Combat Free Fall (CFF) Parachute System. These high technology products will boost the defense manufacturing sector with self-reliance and enhance the operational capabilities of the Armed Forces.

In a big push to the Uttar Pradesh defense corridor, Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for knowledge partnership with Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO). The partnership with DRDO is expected to provide impetus to further boost the development of the defense production corridor in Uttar Pradesh.

The MoU was exchanged between Dr. G Satheesh Reddy Secretary DD(R&D) and Chairman DRDO and Shri Awanish Kumar Awasthi, CEO, UPEIDA.

Speaking on the occasion, the Hon'ble Raksha Mantri lauded the efforts of DRDO and further expressed his happiness in achieving the record transfer of 114 technologies to the industries in the last one year. He also said that the industries have been benefitted with the efforts put in by DRDO through TDF and the free patent which is available to the industries coupled with availability of test facilities, which as a whole are the confidence-building measures which need to be fully exploited by the industries to propel the nation forward towards self-reliance. The Hon'ble Raksha Mantri also lauded the MoU between DRDO and UPEIDA and told that this will facilitate technical and knowledge support by DRDO to the corridor to facilitate a well-planned and efficient industrial base that will lead to increased defense production in the country. The Hon'ble Raksha Mantri announced that DRDO will provide technical and handholding support to industries for export of DRDO developed products and also handholding support for innovation and R&D by industries. He expressed that our defense equipment manufacturing should be explored to tap the global market as well. Efforts should be made to increase the export market for defense equipment. He concluded by saying that we all must work for the success of all the Bandhan initiatives"

Yogi Adiyanath said that the Signing of MoU with the DRDO will be a step forward towards achieving the ultimate aim of capability-building and indigenous production of defense equipment. He also welcomed the announcements by Shri Rajnath Singh of bringing out the new industry-friendly defense technology-related DRDO policies. The Chief Minister further expressed his confidence that the MoU with DRDO will extensively benefit in the development of the State of Uttar Pradesh as well as the region in particular.

Dr. G Satheesh Reddy brought out that DRDO will provide all technical support for the development of the defense corridor as this will give thrust to the "Make-In-India" programme under the guidance of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh and envisioned by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Dr. Reddy elaborated that the recent success of DRDO products such as Anti-Satellite (A-SAT) Missile, Man-Portable ATGM, Naval LCA, Naval Torpedo Varunastra, Radars, Sonars, Advanced materials have not only made country more self-reliant in defense technology but also provided immense opportunities to the industries in defense manufacturing sector. He further stressed the point that the industries are invaluable partners and it is an apt time for the Indian industry to take advantage of the latest policies of the Government and further steer the country by enhancing the efforts towards self-reliance through indigenous technologies, job creation, and Nation building.

In this program, Hon'ble Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh, Chief Minister Uttar Pradesh, Shri Yogi Adityanath. Minister of Industrial Development, Government of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Satish Mahana. Shri Ajay Kumar, Defence Secretary, Shri Shripad Yesso Naik, MoS (Defence), Chief of Army Staff, General Manoj Mukund Naravane, PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC, Dr. G Satheesh Reddy, Secretary DD(R&D) and Chairman DRDO, Shri Awanish Kumar Awasthi, CEO, UPEIDA, Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Uttar Pradesh along with officials from MoD and UP Government and industrialists from entire country were present. Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh and Chief Minister Uttar Pradesh, Shri Yogi Adityanath were the chief guest and guests of honor respectively for this event.

(With Inputs from PIB)