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HYDERABAD: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has been yearning for a commercial arm similar to Antrix of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for a long time, but despite obtaining a green signal from the defence ministry in May 2010, the proposal is awaiting government nod even now.
"The commercial arm was supposed to deal with spin-off products and technologies which can be of use to civilian population as well and marketed accordingly
. The manufacturing part would be the responsibility of the participating public and private sector industrial unit," said an official. DRDO products which have already found use in civil and non-defence domains, either through state and district administrations or directly through the market, include bio-digester toilets, pacemaker, herbal mosquito repellant, bullet-proof material and explosive detection kit, the official said, adding that other products like telemedicine and dengue detection kits have huge potential.
Since a long time, DRDO officials have also been talking about the possibility of exporting missiles, surveillance radars and other such products after fulfilling local defence needs. They feel the situation will be a win-win one for all stakeholders including the DRDO, public and private industries and the civilian population as DRDO has enough to offer from its 50 odd laboratories across the country. "Getting the industry to be involved in marketing and manufacturing would reduce the cost and improve the research part of any product," said a DRDO official here.
According to the officials, the fact that approval from the government is pending for the proposed commercial arm is preventing indigenous cost-effective products and technologies from being available to the civilian population. Some products like the explosive detection kit have garnered interest even in foreign countries and defence offsets have been giving major opportunities to the private sector industry as in the case of Agni V.DRDO's commercial arm proposal hangs in balance - The Times of India
"The commercial arm was supposed to deal with spin-off products and technologies which can be of use to civilian population as well and marketed accordingly
. The manufacturing part would be the responsibility of the participating public and private sector industrial unit," said an official. DRDO products which have already found use in civil and non-defence domains, either through state and district administrations or directly through the market, include bio-digester toilets, pacemaker, herbal mosquito repellant, bullet-proof material and explosive detection kit, the official said, adding that other products like telemedicine and dengue detection kits have huge potential.
Since a long time, DRDO officials have also been talking about the possibility of exporting missiles, surveillance radars and other such products after fulfilling local defence needs. They feel the situation will be a win-win one for all stakeholders including the DRDO, public and private industries and the civilian population as DRDO has enough to offer from its 50 odd laboratories across the country. "Getting the industry to be involved in marketing and manufacturing would reduce the cost and improve the research part of any product," said a DRDO official here.
According to the officials, the fact that approval from the government is pending for the proposed commercial arm is preventing indigenous cost-effective products and technologies from being available to the civilian population. Some products like the explosive detection kit have garnered interest even in foreign countries and defence offsets have been giving major opportunities to the private sector industry as in the case of Agni V.DRDO's commercial arm proposal hangs in balance - The Times of India
