VP lauds DRDO scientists for taking India close to self- reliance in missile technology

Lauding DRDO scientists for takingIndia close to self-reliance in missile technology, VicePresident M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday said attaining self-reliance in the defence sector is not only of strategicimportance, but also essential in terms of national pride.

Naidu, who was speaking after inaugurating two facilitiesat the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex here, said he wasglad to note that scientists of DRDO's missile clustercontinued to maintain his legacy and have developed newgeneration state-of-the-art missile systems.

He also visited the Exposition of Technologies by MissileComplex Laboratories and said that he was elated to see theindigenous products, according to an official release.

''I felt reassured about the security and capability of thecountry, given the tremendous progress made by DRDO scientistsin developing self reliant missile technology, Naidu said.

He expressed confidence that DRDO scientists andtechnologists, with their caliber and commitment, would makeIndia so self-reliant that Atma Nirbhar Bharat will attain aposition where the world will be 'Bharat Par Nirbhar(dependent on India)'.

Naidu said self-reliant technologies give a boost tolocal industry, generate employment opportunities and earnvaluable foreign exchange.

Noting that the Akash missile system has recently beenput into the negative list of items for import by the DefenceMinistry, he called it a commendable achievement by DRDO.

''It means that India is now self-reliant in this kind ofmissile system and so the armed forces need not import similarmissile systems, he said.

On the limitations faced by the country in having accessto high end missile technology of developed countries prior tothe signing of Missile Technology Control Regime in 2018,Naidu saidDRDO had turned this crisis into an opportunity bydeveloping a range of indigenous missile systems.

He said he was happy that India was now trying to shiftits status from being one of the largest importers of defenceproducts to one of the top exporters.

Observing that defence exports are still very low despitethe recent seven fold increase, he said there is a lot ofscope in developing defence technologies of export value.

He urged scientists and technologists to not onlyidentify the futuristic defence needs of the country, but alsothe technologies that can be exported.

Referring to the rapidly changing technological landscape,the Vice President asked DRDO to redefine its focus onstrategic defence technologies and outsource activities whichcan be carried out by capable private sector participants.

He said he was happy that DRDO has set up eight advancedtechnology centers for research on futuristic militaryapplications.

Naidu also said women should be encouraged to participatein the field of science and technology.

He appreciated DRDO's role in India's Missile technologydevelopment ever since its inception in 1961.

Hailing the contribution of stalwarts like Kalam in thesuccess of Integrated Missile Development Program (IGMDP), herecalled his personal association with the former Presidentand said he was struck by Kalam's simplicity, depth ofknowledge and his deep desire to make India a superpower.

He praised the scientists for working hard to meetimportant milestones of the missile development programmesdespite the COVID-19 pandemic challenges and mentioned severalcommendable achievements like the successful trials of QRSAM(Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile) and others.

Lauding the scientists for coming up with the COVID-19vaccine in record time, he hoped that it would reach everycitizen of India very soon and the pandemic would end.

The new facilities inaugurated by Naidu were a MissileSystem Review Hall and Air Commodore V Ganesan IntegratedWeapon System Design & Development Center.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)