DRDO, IIT Delhi, and Industry Sign 10 Tripartite Agreements for Indigenous Military Applications

New Delhi: The DRDO-Industry-Academia Centre of Excellence (DIA-CoE) organized an event titled ‘DRDO-Industry-Academia – Global Approach to Readiness of Indigenous Military Applications’ (DIA-GARIMA) at IIT Delhi on December 19, 2024. The event witnessed the signing of 10 significant tripartite agreements between DRDO, IIT Delhi, and industry partners. These agreements aim to foster advancements in indigenous defence technologies and promote self-reliance in the sector.

In the presence of Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr. Samir V Kamat, Director of IIT Delhi Prof. Rangan Banerjee, and industry representatives, the agreements were signed to collaborate on various defence projects.

Key Agreements Include:

1. Transfer of Technology for Light Weight Bullet Resistant Jacket (ABHED – Advanced Ballistic High Energy Defeat):
   • MIDHANI, Rohtak
   • SMPP Pvt Ltd, Delhi
   • AR Polymers (MKU), Kanpur
2. Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for Indigenous Ballistic Material Development with Reliance Industries Ltd.
3. MoA for Limited Series Production of Extreme Cold Weather Clothing with:
   • Aeronav Industrial Safety Appliance, Delhi
   • Arnaf Industries Ltd
   • Arrow Garments, Tirupur
4. MoA for Limited Series Production of Extreme Heat Protective Clothing with:
   • Arrow Garments, Tirupur
   • Aeronav Industrial Safety Appliance, Delhi
   • Katalyst TECHTEX Ltd, Delhi

These agreements reflect the strong collaboration between DRDO, IIT Delhi, and the industry to develop and implement cutting-edge defence solutions. The initiative aligns with the Government’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ mission to strengthen indigenous capabilities in defence technology.

The DIA-CoEs, facilitated by the Directorate of Futuristic Technology Management (DFTM) under DRDO, have been instrumental in fostering innovation in defence R&D. Over the past seven years, DIA-CoE at IIT Delhi has initiated approximately 50 research projects, supported by a funding of Rs 375 crore from DRDO. These projects focus on soldier-centric innovations, advanced materials, and technologies with high technology readiness levels for both military and civil applications.

Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh, during an exhibition on the sidelines of the Indian National Academy of Engineering’s annual convention, expressed appreciation for the achievements of the joint collaborations under DIA-CoE, highlighting the significant progress made towards self-reliance in defence technology.