New Delhi, Jan 27 (IANS) Commending DRDO’s role in achieving self-reliance, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday that Operation Sindoor demonstrated that indigenous systems are strengthening India’s operational readiness. Addressing DRDO’s Best Performing Scientists and Technical Persons, who witnessed the 77th Republic Day Parade as Special Guests, Rajnath Singh stated that self-reliance has become a national mindset under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said that due to the government’s self-reliance efforts, defence exports, which were less than Rs 1,000 crore in 2014, have today increased to a record Rs 24,000 crore.

Rajnath Singh stressed that there is a need to increase defence exports further. “We have set a defence exports target of Rs 50,000 crore by 2029-30. The DRDO should consider export markets right from the design stage of its systems, especially focusing on drones, radars, electronic warfare systems, and ammunition,” he said. “Focusing on exports leads to cost recovery, builds global credibility, and strengthens strategic partnerships,” he said, exuding confidence that the DRDO will play a significant role in building Viksit Bharat by 2047.

He said the DRDO’s technology was effectively used on the battlefield during Operation Sindoor, and the R&D Organisation is playing a key role in the rapid transformation of the defence sector based on the indigenisation pursuit. The Defence Minister stressed the need to stay ahead of the curve in the present technology-driven world, exhorting the DRDO scientists to think innovatively. “Technology is changing rapidly. Any tech that is new today may become irrelevant in 4-5 years. Therefore, in today’s times, especially on the battlefield, we must move forward keeping in mind the theory of ‘survival of the fastest’ and not just ‘survival of the fittest’. The country that thinks, decides and deploys technology quickly stays ahead,” he said.

Rajnath Singh urged the DRDO to move beyond sectors where the private sector has already developed its capabilities, suggesting the creation of a separate wing within the organisation that takes risks in sectors where the chances of success may seem low. “However, if success is achieved, it will be historic,” he added.

Underscoring the importance of reducing the time between research and prototype, prototype to testing, and testing to deployment, the Defence Minister asserted that “timely induction in the Armed Forces should be the biggest parameter of our performance”. He pointed out that the DRDO usually focuses on design and prototyping, and production is the role of industries, emphasising that it is necessary to bridge this gap. He stated that, like international models, a co-development approach can be adopted, where the industry is involved from the early stages of design to production.