Overview
- Singh said Operation Sindoor validated indigenous capability, citing DRDO systems used in combat, including the D-4 anti-drone suite, a smart anti-airfield weapon and Akash air defence variants.
- He set timely induction as the primary performance metric, urging DRDO to compress the phases from research to prototype, testing and deployment.
- The minister proposed a dedicated wing for higher-risk research to pursue breakthrough technologies where success is uncertain.
- He called for an industry-from-design co-development model with PSUs, private firms, MSMEs, start-ups and academia, pointing to LCA Tejas as proof of effective knowledge sharing.
- He noted defence exports have risen to about ₹24,000 crore since 2014 with a ₹50,000 crore target by 2029–30, and asked DRDO to design with export markets in mind, prioritising drones, radars, electronic warfare and ammunition; separately, Secretary Sanjeev Kumar urged academia to align research with production needs.