In a major boost to research and development in India's northeast region, a defense R&D unit is set to be established in Assam, with the help of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati and other leading technical institutions, according to a senior DRDO official.
"In order to enhance defense research and development, we discussed establishing an R&D unit in Assam's Northeast region, leveraging insights from IIT Guwahati and other technical institutions in the area,” said LC Mangal, Distinguished Scientist and Director General (TM), Defence Research & Development Organisation, Ministry of Defence told Outlook Business.
He added that this move is seen as a strategic step toward the development of the Northeast region and the advancement of the country's defence sector.
The plan was discussed in a closed door meeting in the presence of eminent personalities from academia, industry and government across the globe including Sukanata Majumdar, Minister of State, Education, Veezhinathan Kamakoti, Director, Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM), and others.
IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti reiterated that the closed session aimed to foster open and candid discussions on the challenges of bridging academia and industry. He emphasized that as academicians, the goal is to advance research to TRL 3 or 4, where patents can be secured, ensuring a stronger foundation for innovation and industry collaboration.
He also said that a dedicated ‘Transformation Cell’ was proposed to convert academic research into viable industry products.
According to the data given by India the Swedish think tank, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India was the top arm importer for the period of 2019-23. The data also claimed that India spent approx $24 billion in foreign arm procurement. These data numbers indicate significant Indian dependency over foreign countries for defence equipment and also appears contradictory to India’s self reliant aspiration.
In the direction to position India a strong player in the global defence space, there are now attempts to cut down the import cost and invest it in building the indigenous technology and equipment. R & D is the fundamental step that paves the path towards it.
Director, IITM also highlighted the importance of structured collaboration, increased funding, and industry mentorship and said that to accelerate innovation, we must foster a stronger ecosystem that integrates academia, startups, and industry stakeholders.
The budget allocated ₹6,81,210 crore (USD 77.4 billion), a 9.5% increase in FY 2025-26 from the previous year, also reflecting the government's ambition to modernize the armed forces and boost indigenous defense production. However, only 3.94% of the total defence budget went to the DRDO for defence R&D that is still posing questions on the government's commitment to achieving its vision of self-reliance in defence technology.
