VIMARSH 2026: DRDO–Industry Synergy & Defence Indigenisation

Subject: GS Paper 3: Science and Technology

Context: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh unveiled key policy initiatives at VIMARSH 2026 held in New Delhi.

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About VIMARSH 2026

• VIMARSH 2026 was a DRDO–Industry Synergy Meet organised by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in New Delhi.
• Theme: “Varta se Vikas”.
• Purpose: To strengthen collaboration between DRDO, MSMEs, start-ups, academia and the private defence industry and move from a conventional buyer–seller relationship towards a collaborative, co-created technology ecosystem.
• Focus: Technology transfer, technology absorption, co-development, testing, and faster induction of indigenous technologies. 

Key Intiatives

• Direct Funding: Provides financial support to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and deep-tech start-ups undertaking defence R&D.
• Incubation Support: Offers incubation, funding, and mentorship to help emerging enterprises develop defence technologies.
• Access to Testing Facilities: Provides dedicated access to DRDO testing facilities, reducing technical and financial barriers to testing and validation.
• Software Source-Code Sharing: Introduces a standardised and secure mechanism for sharing DRDO-developed software source codes with licensee industries, supporting software-defined defence capabilities and obsolescence management.
• Technology Transfer: 9 Licensing Agreements for Transfer of Technology (LAToTs) were handed over to 13 manufacturing partners for commercial production of advanced defence systems.
• Industry Outreach: MoUs were exchanged with the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) and Laghu Udyog Bharati (LUB) to expand industry outreach and foster grassroots participation.
• SAMAR 2.0: DRDO signed a contract with the Quality Council of India (QCI) for the System for Advanced Manufacturing Assessment and Rating (SAMAR) 2.0 to benchmark the manufacturing maturity of domestic defence enterprises.
• Technology Transfer Ecosystem: Over 2,300 Technology Transfers (ToTs) have been handed over to more than 1,100 industries, with technologies related to around 50 DRDO-developed missiles made available to industry.

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Government Initiatives for Defence Indigenisation

• Positive Indigenisation Lists: Promote domestic procurement by restricting imports of specified defence items.
• Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX): Supports start-ups and innovators in developing solutions based on actual defence requirements.
• Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX (ADITI): Promotes the development of critical and strategic defence technologies.
• 25% Defence R&D Budget: Allocated to the private sector to encourage industry-led defence R&D.
• Technology Development Fund (TDF): Provides grants to start-ups and industries for developing indigenous defence technologies.

News Source: The Hindu

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