Overview of DRDO
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is India’s premier defense R&D agency under the Department of Defence Research and Development in the Ministry of Defence. Established in 1958 through the merger of the Technical Development Establishment, the Directorate of Technical Development and Production, and the Defence Science Organisation, DRDO has been at the forefront of indigenous defense technology development.
Key Facts about DRDO:
Headquarters: DRDO Bhawan, New Delhi
Formation: 1958
Motto: “Strength’s Origin is in Science” (Sanskrit: बलस्य मूलं विज्ञानम्)
Workforce: Approximately 30,000 employees (including 5,000 scientists)
Annual Budget: ₹23,264 crore (US$2.7 billion) for 2022-23
Network: 52 specialized laboratories across India
Leadership of DRDO
The following table lists the heads of DRDO:
| Time Period | Leader | Designation |
| 2018-2022 | Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy | Chairman, DRDO & Secretary |
| 2022-present | Dr. Sameer V. Kamat | Chairman, DRDO & Secretary |
DRDO Laboratories and Research Areas
DRDO operates numerous specialized laboratories across India, each focusing on specific research domains:
| Laboratory/Establishment | Location | Research Area |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced Centre for Energetic Materials (ACEM) | Nasik | Energetic Materials |
| Advanced Numerical Research & Analysis Group (ANURAG) | Hyderabad | Computational Systems |
| Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL) | Hyderabad | Missiles & Strategic Systems |
| Aerial Delivery Research & Development Establishment (ADRDE) | Agra | Parachutes & Aerial Systems |
| Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) | Bengaluru | Aeronautics |
| Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE) | Pune | Armaments |
| Centre for Air Borne System (CABS) | Bengaluru | Air-Borne Systems |
| Defence Electronics Applications Laboratory (DEAL) | Dehradun | Electronics & Communication Systems |
| Defence Scientific Information & Documentation Centre (DESIDOC) | Delhi | Information Systems |
| Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL) | Mysore | Food Research |
| Defence Institute of Bio-Energy Research (DIBER) | Haldwani | Bio-Energy Research |
| DRDO Integration Centre (DIC) | Panagarh | Integration of Strategic System |
| Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR) | Leh | High Altitude Agro-animal Research |
| Defence Institute of Physiology & Allied Science (DIPAS) | Delhi | Physiology |
Missile Systems Developed by DRDO
Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Programme
The Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Programme aims to develop and deploy a multi-layered missile defense system to protect India from ballistic missile threats.
Key Interceptor Missiles:
| Missile | Type | Range | Interception Altitude | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prithvi Air Defence (Pradyumna) | Exo-atmospheric | 300-5,000 km | 80 km | Being deployed |
| Advanced Air Defence (Ashwin) | Endo-atmospheric | 200 km | 40 km | Being deployed |
| Prithvi Defence Vehicle | Exo-atmospheric | 5,000 km | 50-180 km | In production |
| Prithvi Defence Vehicle Mk2 | Exo-atmospheric | 5,000 km | >1,200 km | Flight trials |
| AD-1 | Low exo-atmospheric and endo-atmospheric | 1,000-3,000 km | – | Flight trials |
| AD-2 | Exo-atmospheric | 3,000-5,500 km | – | Under development |
Swordfish LRTR: Target acquisition and fire control radar with a range of 600-800 km that can detect objects as small as a cricket ball. Plans to upgrade to 1,500 km range.
Super Swordfish: Very Long Range Tracking Radar system operational since 2017.
Deployment: The system is currently planned for protecting New Delhi and Mumbai, with a hit probability of 99.8%.
Other Missile Categories
Anti-Radiation Missiles:
| Name | Type | Maximum Range | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rudram-1 | Anti-radiation missile | 150 km | In service |
| Rudram-2 | Air to surface anti-radiation missile | 300 km | Under development |
| Rudram-3 | Air to surface missile | 550 km | Under development |
Anti-Satellite Missiles:
| Name | Type | Interception Altitude | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prithvi Defence Vehicle Mark II | Exo-atmospheric Hit-to-kill anti-ballistic missile | 1,200 km | Being tested |
Anti-Ship Missiles:
| Name | Type | Maximum Range | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASM-SR | Short-range anti-ship missile | 55+ km | In user trials |
| Naval anti-ship missile-MR | Medium-range anti-ship missile | 150-250 km | In development |
| Brahmos-A | Anti-ship cruise missile | 400 km | In Service |
Anti-Tank Missiles:
| Family | Name | Type | Maximum Range | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nag | Prospina | Land-attack ATGM | 4 km | In service |
| Nag | HeliNa/Dhruvastra | Air-launched ATGM | 10 km | In development |
| Nag | Stand off Anti-Tank missile | Standoff Air-launched ATGM | 20 km | In development |
| Nag | MPATGM | Man-portable ATGM | 2.5 km | In development |
| Amogha | Amogha-1 | ATGM | 2.8 km | In development |
| Amogha | Amogha-II | Air-launched ATGM | 2.8 km | In development |
| Amogha | Amogha-III | Man-portable ATGM | 2.5 km | In development |
| SAMHO | SAMHO | Cannon launched ATGM | 5 km | In development |
DRDO Industry Academia Centres of Excellence (DIA-CoEs)
DRDO has established collaborative research centers with premier academic institutions to develop cutting-edge technologies for defense applications:
| Institution | Research Areas |
|---|---|
| IIT Delhi | Advanced Ballistics, Electromagnetic Devices, Brain Computer Interface, Bio Mechanical Devices, Photonics, Quantum Communication, High Speed Imaging, Smart Textiles |
| IIT Kanpur | Flexible Electronics, Nano Materials, Material Design, High Energy Systems, Bio-Engineering, Software Defined Radio |
| IIT Kharagpur | Extractive Metallurgy, Surface Engineering, Underwater Robotics, Cognitive Technologies, Quality & Reliability Studies, Cryptography |
| IISc Bangalore | Quantum Enhanced Science & Technology, Brain-Machine Intelligence |
| Mizoram University | Specialized research areas |
| Central University of Jammu | Specialized research areas |
| Bharathiar University | Specialized research areas |
| IIT Hyderabad | Specialized research areas |
| IIT Roorkee | Specialized research areas |
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