Operation Sindoor Proves Indigenous Defence Tech Is Battle-Ready: Rajnath Singh

“Technology is changing rapidly. What is new today may become irrelevant in four or five years,” Singh said, urging scientists to innovate faster and embrace calculated risk-taking.

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh on Monday said Operation Sindoor clearly demonstrated that indigenous defence systems are strengthening India’s operational readiness, underscoring how self-reliance has become a national mindset under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Addressing DRDO’s Best Performing Scientists and Technical Persons, who attended the 77th Republic Day Parade as Special Guests, the Defence Minister said technologies developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) were effectively deployed during Operation Sindoor, reinforcing the organisation’s central role in the rapid transformation of India’s defence sector.

“Technology is changing rapidly. What is new today may become irrelevant in four or five years,” Singh said, urging scientists to innovate faster and embrace calculated risk-taking. “In today’s battlefield environment, it is about the survival of the fastest, not just the fittest. Those who think, decide, and deploy quickly stay ahead.”

Faster R&D, Earlier Industry Involvement

The Raksha Mantri stressed the need to compress timelines—from research to prototype, prototype to testing, and testing to deployment—adding that timely induction into the Armed Forces must be the key performance benchmark.

He called for a co-development model, where industry partners are involved from the design stage, helping bridge the gap between DRDO’s design strengths and large-scale production by industry. Singh also proposed the creation of a risk-taking wing within DRDO to pursue breakthrough technologies in areas where success may appear uncertain but could deliver historic outcomes.

Collaboration Over Monopolies

Highlighting the success of LCA Tejas as a model of collaboration between DRDO and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Singh urged the organisation to move away from a monopolistic R&D approach and work more closely with PSUs, private industry, MSMEs, start-ups, and academia.

“Government support will be meaningful only when DRDO builds a collaborative ecosystem,” he said, adding that such partnerships are essential to achieving Aatmanirbhar Bharat in defence.

Exports as a Strategic Priority

Singh noted that India’s defence exports have surged from under ₹1,000 crore in 2014 to about ₹24,000 crore today, and reiterated the government’s target of ₹50,000 crore by 2029–30. He urged DRDO to factor export potential from the design stage, particularly in drones, radars, electronic warfare systems, and ammunition, saying exports help recover costs, enhance global credibility, and strengthen strategic partnerships.

Honouring Excellence

The event, organised by DRDO, honoured scientists, engineers, and technicians whose work underpins India’s defence capabilities. Singh presented awards under the DRDO Award Scheme 2024, including:

• Dr Bhagavantam Technology Leadership Award 2024 to Shri B V Paparao, Director, Advanced Systems Laboratory, Hyderabad, for leadership in technologies related to Agni missiles and MIRV systems for long-range hypersonic cruise missiles.

• Dr Nagchaudhuri Lifetime Achievement Award 2024 to Dr Balaguru V, former CVRDE scientist, for contributions to MBT Arjun Mk-1 and the Indian Light Tank ‘Zorawar’.

Three Best Scientific Excellence Awards and two Best Technical Excellence Awards were also conferred.

On the occasion, a book titled “The Unprecedented Success Story of the First Indigenous Supersonic Multi-Target Surface-to-Air Missile System – AKASH” was released, chronicling the journey of the AKASH missile system from concept to operational success—a symbol of DRDO’s scientific excellence and India’s self-reliance drive.

Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth, DRDO Chairman Dr Samir V Kamat, and award recipients with their families were present at the ceremony.