DRDO to be restructured along the DARPA model

[Puffin]

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh with Union MoS Defence Ajay Bhatt, CDS General Anil Chauhan, Army Chief General Manoj Pande, DRDO chairman Samir V Kamat and other leaders; (Photo: ANI| Mohd Zakir)


Pradip R. Sagar
New Delhi,UPDATED: Aug 26, 2023 14:03 IST

With an aim to attain high-end futuristic technologies for future wars, the Union government has set up a high-powered committee, comprising officials from the ministry of defence (MoD), the three services, industry and academia, to redefine the role of India’s premier defence research agency, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The DRDO, which has a budget of Rs 23,264 crore in budget estimate (BE) 2023-24, has often been criticised for delayed projects and cost overruns. Incidentally, the DRDO, with massive manpower and infrastructure, currently does not have any major new project in its hands.
The nine-member committee, headed by former principal scientific advisor to the government Prof. K. Vijay Raghavan, will submit its report within three months. Defence sources claim the move to revamp the DRDO is driven by the Prime Minister’s Office. The PMO is reportedly also considering bifurcating the post of DRDO chairman and secretary-research and development in the MoD. This is to ensure that the DRDO chief, with lesser responsibility, is able to devote more time and energy to defence programmes. The view is that a bureaucrat holding the post of secretary-R&D can manage administrative and financial tasks better than a scientist.

 

[Skull and Bones]

This was long due, and in every 3-5 years there should be a performance evaluation and bottom 15-20% should be sacked. And these evaluation method should be expanded to all PSU and Universities.

 

[Puffin]

Better late than never I suppose

 

[NAVDEEP DHALIWAL]

Instead of a politician I wish they just appoint some1 from army or air force as drdo chief on rotational basis.
Would be much better.
Politicians are useless. They can't even mange building local roads lol talk about Indian defence with zero defence background

 

[migflug]

DRDO should be broken in multiple entities. Moreover accountability is required from both the DRDOs and MoD, since a lot of time the project is not completed on time, because there is delay in sanction of money. Take AMCA for example, no money has been sanctioned, then how can ADA/HAL can work on its prototype?

 

[VkdIndian]

Instead of a politician I wish they just appoint some1 from army or air force as drdo chief on rotational basis.

There are enough professionals in DRDO and scientific community, that can lead them to newer heights.

Kasturirangan, Kalam and many more have proven it earlier. Idea should be to give imputes to the people who would run it eventually.

Basic requirement is accountability. Someone should be there to ask tough questions and not go along with bullshit that they keep dishing out.

 

[Puffin]

1) It is ESSENTIAL that end users should have a presence in the weaponry that is being developed. No one has more to lose than the end user when weapons are developed on the say so of a scientist/engineer/accountant. No one can properly express the requirements of a weapon than the person whose life will depend on its proper functioning.

2) You cannot judge how good or bad DRDO is if it continues as a vast enterprise spread across hundreds of different weapon systems. It has to be broken up into discreet entities ie Drones, hand held ballistic weapons, Armoured carriers, etc.
That way each particular entity can be better judged as to its efficiency and efficacy.

 

[letsrock]

This is bound to kill whatever little ISRO achieved. ISRO is somewhat better than a typical delhi organization because it is in deep south and somewhat saved from the "aryavarta" behaviours. Though ofcourse south has its own severe issues.

If delhi enters the scene because it smells sucess it will sell ISRO piece by piece to adanis and ambanis.

Instead of a politician I wish they just appoint some1 from army or air force as drdo chief on rotational basis.
Would be much better.
Politicians are useless. They can't even mange building local roads lol talk about Indian defence with zero defence background

Everyone in india is a politcian - whether ISRO chief shilling to modi for funds or defense chiefs.

 

[indushek]

For all the flack DRDO gets , which is mostly deserved no doubt - how can you re organize something, without having someone to present their point of view?

Are we saying that, the end user aka Armed forces/ the financier aka GOI etc have no faults of their own?

DRDO should be broken in multiple entities. Moreover accountability is required from both the DRDOs and MoD, since a lot of time the project is not completed on time, because there is delay in sanction of money. Take AMCA for example, no money has been sanctioned, then how can ADA/HAL can work on its prototype?

DRDO is not a monolith, its about fifty or so labs if am not wrong.

Don't just ask MOD's responsibility, ask the end user too about their responsibility. Why do they keep changing their requirements, and always jump for overseas acquisitions?

As long as everyone related doesn't come on one page, and take up study on every partner's role and responsibility this will end up doing nothing.

 

[Puffin]

This is bound to kill whatever little ISRO achieved. ISRO is somewhat better than a typical delhi organization because it is in deep south and somewhat saved from the "aryavarta" behaviours. Though ofcourse south has its own severe issues.

If delhi enters the scene because it smells sucess it will sell ISRO piece by piece to adanis and ambanis.


Everyone in india is a politcian - whether ISRO chief shilling to modi for funds or defense chiefs.

The only problem with your diatribe is that this is ENTIRELY about reorganising DRDO. ISRO is complexly separate from DRDO and there is NO ONE asking for its reorganisation.
NO ONE has ever hinted at reorganising ISRO , either within the govt or anyone outside it.

 

[Puffin]

Don't just ask MOD's responsibility, ask the end user too about their responsibility. Why do they keep changing their requirements, and always jump for overseas acquisitions?

This is a very successfully promoted canard by individuals buried in DRDO and politics whereby each excuses the others shortcomings.
If I request a WVR missile when my adversary has just acquired those and DRDO spends 30 years making it meanwhile the adversary has moved onto BVR missiles what am I supposed to do ??
Of course I am going to request that ours should also be a BVR or I am dead meat.
Neither a imposed war nor my adversary will say lets wait for DRDO to catch up
Wars are won and lost and lives lost or saved on the ability of DRDO to provide a weapon system in a timely manner.
When you deliver late then the poor guy who dies for his country gets the blame
Defence production is a matter of life and death that is very real for the end user, but not for those in charge of design and production at DRDO.
For them its just a permanent lifetime job with few comebacks
THAT HAS TO CHANGE

 

[indushek]

This is a very successfully promoted canard by individuals buried in DRDO and politics whereby each excuses the others shortcomings.
If I request a WVR missile when my adversary has just acquired those and DRDO spends 30 years making it meanwhile the adversary has moved onto BVR missiles what am I supposed to do ??
Of course I am going to request that ours should also be a BVR or I am dead meat.
Neither a imposed war nor my adversary will say lets wait for DRDO to catch up
Wars are won and lost and lives lost or saved on the ability of DRDO to provide a weapon system in a timely manner.
When you deliver late then the poor guy who dies for his country gets the blame
Defence production is a matter of life and death that is very real for the end user, but not for those in charge of design and production at DRDO.
For them its just a permanent lifetime job with few comebacks
THAT HAS TO CHANGE

You just made a hyperbole out of hypothetical

You have also washed the armed forces, of any blame whatsoever. Is hamam me sab nange hai

I have no intention of excusing any of the involved parties, each one of them should get a boot on their behind.