DRDO to float commercial arm

With an eye to translate some of the technologies developed by its labs into products for the markets, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will float a commercial arm. With a string of nearly 50 national laboratories, engaged in diverse areas of work to meet the needs of Defence forces across the country, the DRDO feels it has a good repository of technologies that have potential for civilian use and could fetch it some revenues in the bargain.

While the Department of Space has a successful commercial arm in Antrix Corporation to push its technologies and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research a full-fledged technology commercialisation wing, the DRDO and, in a way, the Department of Atomic Energy, given their nature of research demands, were more inward-looking and focussed on meeting internal needs.

The Director-General of DRDO, Dr V.K. Saraswat, said a database of the available technologies within the DRDO network that have potential applications for the civilian markets as well as exports was being created. This would help give a focus to the commercial arm and also spawn entrepreneurship and opportunities in the private sector.

Collaborative venture

The DRDO is working jointly with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry on a project called Accelerated Technology Assimilation and Commercialisation. The objective is to support a specific industry to take its technology/products to commercial scale, while fulfilling the demands of the Defence sector.

The Commercial arm would leverage in-house DRDO technologies and products. Citing a recent example he said a bio-digester developed in-house as a toilet for soldiers in the high altitude Siachin region is now finding its way into railway coaches, tourist buses, small homes and extensively in Lakshadweep islands. There are a handful of agencies which are making them for customised use now, Dr Saraswat, who is also Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister told Business Line .

Spin-off tech

There are several spin off technologies of the DRDO, that have turned into such products as a pacemaker, light-weight polio boots, titanium implants, jackal steel material for bullet-proofing of vehicles, etc.

Dr Saraswat said there was a need to strengthen the capacity base in the private sector as the Defence offsets would throw up huge opportunities for domestic industry. Particularly, wide scope is seen in the aerospace, electronic manufacturing and civilian aircraft sectors.

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