Hyderabad, Dec 17: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday inaugurated a new defence research centre in Hyderabad, which will focus on developing cutting-edge technologies for the armed forces.
The centre, named Defence Innovation Centre for Excellence (DICE), is a joint initiative of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Singh said that the centre will foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the defence sector and will act as a bridge between academia and industry.
He said that the centre will work on various domains such as artificial intelligence, robotics, cyber security, quantum computing, nanotechnology, biotechnology and materials science.
He also said that the centre will provide opportunities for young researchers and startups to collaborate with the DRDO and the defence industry and contribute to the nation’s defence and security.
He praised the DRDO and the IIT Hyderabad for their efforts in setting up the centre and expressed confidence that the centre will become a hub of excellence and innovation in the defence domain.
He also lauded the achievements of the DRDO and the defence industry in developing indigenous defence systems and platforms, such as the Tejas fighter jet, the Arjun tank, the Akash missile system, the Pinaka rocket system and the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.
He said that the government is committed to support the defence sector and has taken several steps to boost the defence production and procurement, such as increasing the foreign direct investment (FDI) limit, simplifying the defence offset policy, launching the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020 and the Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy 2020.
He also said that the government has launched the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (Self-reliant India Campaign) to promote self-reliance and indigenisation in the defence sector and has earmarked 101 items for domestic production.
He urged the defence industry to take advantage of the government’s initiatives and invest more in research and development and innovation.
He also appealed to the academic institutions and the scientific community to work closely with the defence sector and provide solutions to the challenges faced by the armed forces.
He said that the government’s vision is to make India a global leader in defence technology and innovation and a net exporter of defence equipment.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by several dignitaries, including Governor of Telangana Tamilisai Soundararajan, Chief Minister of Telangana K Chandrashekar Rao, Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik, DRDO Chairman Dr G Satheesh Reddy and IIT Hyderabad Director Prof B S Murty.
