'25-Year-Olds Going Beyond Expectations' — DRDO On Startups, Private Players In Defence Sector
Major industry groups like the Tatas, L&T, and the Adanis have made notable investments in the defence sector, the DG of the Electronics and Communication System at DRDO added.
The Nifty Defence index has rallied over 18% in the past year and the stellar rally has made the theme a favourite among the Indian equity investors. This is only made possible as more private players and startups have stepped into the space, opening up the sector for investors to pour their money into.
The space has also seen more innovation and integration from private players. According to Dr. B. K. Das, Director General of the Electronics and Communication System at DRDO, the private sector's involvement in India's defense industry has grown exponentially, shifting from the earlier times where PSUs were the leaders of the industry due to their infrastructure.
Dr Das views this as a revolution driven by private companies, including startups, who are now putting in their time, money and efforts into defence design and implementation.
Private Sector Growth
Dr. Das noted a shift from an import-dependent sector of the country to one where PSUs were the leaders, able to implement DRDO's designs on a large scale.
Now further along the way, the private sector's emergence is changing the game. He highlighted that today, there is a good balance between public and private entities, with the two designing and developing products together.
He mentioned that major industry groups like the Tatas, L&T, and the Adanis have made notable investments and are working closely with the defense sector.
The list of such companies, according to Das are endless, with 30, 40 or 50 such industry groups that are willing to work with the DRDO.
Youngsters Rising
Talking about the interest from the smaller business as well, Dr Das said that he is pleasant surprise at the role of startups. He observed that mid-segment businesses like SMEs and startups have a strong desire to enter the defense sector, and investors are also showing interest.
Das finds it remarkable that young, 25-year-old entrepreneurs are coming forward with innovative ideas.
"We are pleasantly surprised to see 25-year-olds come up to us, take the challenge and realise the idea. They are going beyond our expectations," he said.
These startups, he said, is helping the DRDO to build a new level of trust in indigenously designed and developed products. Despite a core dependency that every country has on some imports, Dr Das said that the overall concept remains 100% Indian.
"End-to-end, products are designed, developed and delivered by Indian companies," he concluded, highlighting the nation's push toward self-reliance in defense technology.
