Defence Research and Development
Organisation
Defence Research and Development
Organization
DRDO Seal
Agency overview
Formed
1958
Headquarters DRDO Bhavan, New Delhi
Employees
30,000 (5,000 scientists)
Annual
budget
US$ 1.18 billion (2006)[1]
Minister
responsible
A.K. Antony, Defence Minister
of India
Agency
executive
M. Natrajan, Director
General, DRDO and Scientific
Adviser to Defence Minister
Website
www.drdo.org
DRDO Bhawan, New Delhi, The Headquarter
of DRDO
The Defence Research and Develop-
ment Organisation (DRDO) (Hindi: ?????
???????? ??? ????? ?????, Rakṣā Anusandhān
evaṃ Vikās Saṃghaṭhan) is one of Asia’s
largest defence contractors and a leading
aerospace manufacturer, headquartered in
New Delhi, India. It was formed in 1958 by
the merger of Technical Development Estab-
lishment and the Directorate of Technical
Development and Production with the De-
fence Science Organisation.
DRDO has a network of 51 laboratories
which are deeply engaged in developing de-
fence technologies covering various discip-
lines, like aeronautics, armaments, electronic
and computer sciences, human resource de-
velopment, life sciences, materials, missiles,
combat vehicles development and naval re-
search and development. The organization in-
cludes more than 5,000 scientists and about
25,000 other scientific, technical and sup-
porting personnel.
Projects
In recent years, the DRDO has achieved suc-
cess in several projects. But some elements
in India are not happy with the results.
"The DRDO isn’t the world’s most reliable
weapons R&D agency," Admiral L Ramdas, a
former chief of staff of the Indian Navy, told
Inter Press Service. "The Indian armed ser-
vices’ experience with DRDO-made arma-
ments has not been a happy one. Their reliab-
ility is often extremely poor. We often used to
joke that one had to pray they would some-
how work in the battlefield."[2]
Aeronautics
• The DRDO is responsible for the ongoing
Light Combat Aircraft program. A 4.5th
generation jet fighter, the LCA is intended
to provide the Indian Air Force