DRDO celebrates 68th Foundation Day

• Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) celebrated its 68th Foundation Day on January 1.

• Highlighting the achievements of the DRDO in 2025, chairman Samir V. Kamat said several systems were delivered, inducted, or handed over to users.

• As many as 22 acceptance of necessity (AoN) have been accorded by government authorities for the induction of several DRDO-developed systems worth approximately Rs 1.30 lakh crore to be manufactured by Indian industries in 2025.

• An AoN is the first step towards the procurement process.

• The DRDO has also opened its test facilities to industries, and more than 4,000 tests have been carried out for private industries or Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) in 2025.

Defence Research and Development Organisation

• DRDO is the research and development wing of the Ministry of Defence. 

• 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.