Scientist Samir V. Kamat appointed as DRDO chief

• Distinguished scientist Samir V. Kamat was appointed as secretary of the Department of Defence Research and Development and chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

• Kamat, who is director general, Naval Systems & Materials, at the DRDO will succeed G. Satheesh Reddy who has been named as scientific adviser to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Kamat as secretary of the Department of Defence Research and Development and chairman of DRDO from the date of his assumption of charge till he attains the age of 60 years.

• The ACC also approved the appointment of Reddy as scientific adviser to the defence minister.

• Reddy was appointed as DRDO chief in August 2018 for two years. He was given two years’ extension in the post in August 2020.

Defence Research and Development Organisation

• DRDO is the research and development wing of the defence ministry. Its vision is to empower India with cutting-edge defence technologies and a mission to achieve self-reliance in critical defence technologies and systems, while equipping our armed forces with state-of-the-art weapon systems and equipment in accordance with the requirements laid down by the three services.

• DRDO was formed in 1958 from the amalgamation of the then already functioning Technical Development Establishment of the Indian Army and the Directorate of Technical Development & Production with the Defence Science Organisation. 

• DRDO was then a small organisation with 10 establishments or laboratories. Over the years, it has grown multi-directionally in terms of the variety of subject disciplines, number of laboratories, achievements and stature.

• Today, DRDO is a network of more than 50 laboratories that are deeply engaged in developing defence technologies covering various disciplines such as aeronautics, armaments, electronics, combat vehicles, engineering systems, instrumentation, missiles, advanced computing and simulation, special materials, naval systems, life sciences, training, information systems and agriculture. 

• Several major projects for the development of missiles, armaments, light combat aircrafts, radars, electronic warfare systems etc are on hand and significant achievements have already been made in several such technologies.

• DRDO’s pursuit of self-reliance and successful indigenous development and production of strategic systems and platforms such as Agni and Prithvi series of missiles, Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, multi-barrel rocket launcher Pinaka, air defence system Akash, etc have given a quantum jump to India’s military might, generating effective deterrence and providing crucial leverage.

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