On January 01, 2026, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), under the Ministry of Defence (MoD), celebrated its 68th Foundation Day at DRDO Headquarters in New Delhi, Delhi.
- Union Minister Rajnath Singh, MoD; Union Minister of State (MoS) Sanjay Seth, MoD; Dr. Samir V. Kamat, Chairman of DRDO and Secretary, Department of Defence, Research and Development (R&D), MoD, were present at the event.
Exam Hints:
- Event: 68th Foundation Day of DRDO
- When? January 01, 2026
- Where? DRDO Headquarters, New Delhi
- Focus Areas: Cyber, Space, AI
- Milestone:
- 22 AoN approvals worth ~Rs.1.30 lakh crore
- 11 defence contracts signed worth Rs.26,000 crore
- Technology Transfer: 245 LAToT in 2025 (Total: 2,201)
- CoE: 15 operational; 66 new projects (Rs.228 crore)
DRDO’s 2025 Strategic Overview & Milestones:
Procurement and Financial Achievements:
Vision: DRDO is reaffirmed as a pivotal force in Aatmanirbhar Bharat, driving India’s defence manufacturing ecosystem with a future focus on Cyber, Space, and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Approvals: The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) and Strategic Policy Board (SPB) accorded 22 Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) approvals worth ~Rs.1.30 lakh crore, facilitating Indian industry in the production of critical defence systems.
Contracts and Inductions:
Contracts: As part of its expanding operational footprint, 11 defence contracts worth Rs.26,000 crore were signed with production partners.
Induction: Multiple DRDO -developed systems have been inducted into Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), Police Forces, and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), expanding operational reach beyond the Indian Armed Forces.
Research, Development, and Trials:
User Evaluation Trials (UETs) Progress: UETs have been completed or are nearing completion for Pralay, Akash Next Generation (Akash NG), Guided Pinaka, Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile(MPATGM), Advanced Lightweight Torpedo (ALWT), Battlefield Observation Surveillance System (BOSS), Specialised Demolition Robot (SDR), and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) water systems.
Progress of Ongoing Trials: The Developmental Trials are underway for Indian Light Tank, Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS), New Air-to-Surface Missile-Short Range (NASM-SR), Rudram-2, Gaurav Glide Bomb, advanced radars, and Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) life support systems.
Industry and Academia Partnership:
Technology Transfers: 245 Licensing Agreement for Transfer of Technology(LAToT) signed in 2025, taking the total to 2,201.
Industry Partnerships & Tests: 13 new Defence Corridor Production/Production Agency (DcPP/PA) partnerships added (total 145) and over 4,000 industry tests conducted for private sector and Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs).
Centres of Excellence(CoE): 15 Industry–Academia CoE operational, with 66 new projects sanctioned in 2025, valued at Rs. 228 crore.
About Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO):
It was established through the amalgamation of the Technical Development Establishment, the Directorate of Technical Development and Production of the Indian Ordnance Factories, and the Defence Science Organisation.
- DRDO has grown from an initial network of 10 laboratories to 52, and is actively engaged in developing defence technologies across multiple disciplines.
Chairman – Samir V. Kamat
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
Established – January 1, 1958
