Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) handed over 12 Licensing Agreements for Transfer of Technology (LATOTs) covering eight advanced defence technologies to various industry partners during the inaugural session of SAMANVAY 2025, held in Bengaluru.
The two-day event was organised by the Electronics and Communication Systems (ECS) Cluster of DRDO to strengthen the collaboration between industry and R&D institutions, in line with the Government’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ vision.
Key Highlights
| Technology | Developed by (DRDO Lab) | Transferred to (Industry Partner) | Purpose/Details |
| D-29 Electronic Warfare Suite | Combat Aircraft System Development and Integration Centre (CASDIC) | Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL), Bengaluru | Advanced electronic warfare system for fighter aircrafts. |
| NATSAT-Handheld & NATSAT-Mini Terminals | Defence Electronics Application Laboratory (DEAL) | BEL, Panchkula | Portable satellite communication systems for field operations. |
| Sarang Electronic Support Measure System (Programme SAMUDRIKA) | Defence Electronics Research Laboratory (DLRL) | BEL, Bengaluru | Naval ESM system for detecting and analysing enemy radar emissions. |
| DOLPHIN-II | DLRL | BEL, Bengaluru | Next-generation naval electronic warfare receiver. |
| Laser Beam Rider Guidance System with Eye-safe Laser Range Finder | Instruments Research & Development Establishment (IRDE) | BEL (Pune) and Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL), Hyderabad | Precision laser-based weapon guidance system. |
| Athermal Laser Target Designator | IRDE | BEL, Pune | Target marking system for air and land-based operations. |
| Laser Photoacoustic Spectroscopy | IRDE | DH Ltd (Ghaziabad), Enertech Engg. Pvt. Ltd (Hyderabad), Beam Infotech Pvt. Ltd (Gurgaon), Nibe Ltd (Pune) | Gas detection technology for industrial and defence applications. |
| M-Type Dispenser Cathode | Microwave Tube Research & Development Centre (MTRDC) | Panacea Medical Technologies Pvt. Ltd (Malur, Karnataka) | Used in advanced microwave systems for radar and communications. |
About SAMANVAY 2025
- A two-day industry synergy meet organised by DRDO’s ECS Cluster in Bengaluru.
- Aimed at promoting defence-industry collaboration and indigenous R&D-commercialisation.
- Featured 10 thematic sessions on:
- MSME and start-up partnerships,
- Defence production linkages, and
- Research-commercialisation models.
- Attended by 150+ industry representatives, including DPSUs, private defence firms, and start-ups.
- The event reinforced DRDO’s initiative to create a robust defence innovation ecosystem.
Significance
- Strengthens Defence Industrial Base (DIB) by linking laboratory innovations to production ecosystems.
- Promotes technology self-reliance and reduces dependence on foreign defence imports.
- Supports the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan and Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy (DPEPP) 2020.
- Boosts public-private partnerships (PPP) in defence technology development.
About DRDO
| Parameter | Details |
| Full Form | Defence Research and Development Organisation |
| Established | 1958 (through merger of the Technical Development Establishment and Directorate of Technical Development & Production) |
| Headquarters | New Delhi |
| Parent Ministry | Ministry of Defence, Government of India |
| Motto | “Balasya Mulam Vigyanam” (Strength’s Origin is in Science) |
| No. of Laboratories/Establishments | 50+ across India |
| Key Achievements | Agni and Prithvi missiles, Arjun tank, Tejas fighter, Akash missile, Astra air-to-air missile, and Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) |
| Key Clusters | Missiles & Strategic Systems (MSS), Armaments & Combat Engineering (ACE), Electronics & Communication Systems (ECS), Aeronautical Systems, Naval Systems, and Life Sciences. |
Key DRDO Labs Mentioned
| Laboratory | Location | Specialization |
| CASDIC | Bengaluru | Combat aircraft systems integration |
| DEAL | Dehradun | Satellite communication and networking |
| DLRL | Hyderabad | Electronic warfare systems |
| IRDE | Dehradun | Electro-optics and laser-based systems |
| MTRDC | Bengaluru | Microwave tubes and radar technologies |
Broader Context- Defence Tech Transfer and Aatmanirbhar Bharat
- DRDO has established Industry Interaction Groups (IIGs) at all its labs to increase awareness about collaboration opportunities.
- Over 1,200 technologies have been transferred by DRDO to industry partners to date.
- India aims to achieve ₹35,000 crore in defence exports by 2030, supported by technology indigenisation.
- The initiative aligns with the ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ strategy and promotes defence start-ups through Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX).
Defence Industry in India
- Top Defence PSUs: BEL, BDL, HAL, MDL, GRSE, MIDHANI.
- Defence Corridors: Uttar Pradesh & Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridors.
- Key Policies:
- Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020
- Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy (DPEPP) 2020
- Key Export Destinations: Southeast Asia, Africa, Middle East, and Latin America.