The Armed Forces have already inducted Rs 42,000 crore of systems developed indigenously by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
Addressing a workshop on nanotechnology here on Monday, the Indian Defence Minister AK Antony said “nanotechnology is an emerging field, which can lead to the development of new weapon systems and products that can benefit our nation. The world over, endeavours are being made to focus attention on research & development in nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is likely to find applications in various spheres of our life, including defence, energy, transportation, automobiles, health, infrastructure, food and agriculture.”
Complimenting DRDO for taking up nanotechnology mission for defence applications in this `Decade of Innovation`, the Minister said that nano-materials have useful implications such as nano-composites, nano-coatings, nano-sensors and nano-medicine to enhance the combat efficiency of the soldiers in particular and the quality of life of the citizens of our country, as a whole.
He said that the Government has declared the decade (2010-2020) as the decade of innovation.” We expect our scientists to make concerted efforts at making inventions, discoveries and innovations during this decade,” he said.
“There is a need to adopt a conglomerate, or a consortium approach that involves academic institutions and industries. All the organisations must act as a cohesive team to explore various aspects of nanotechnology for its application in the development of missiles, aeronautics, armaments, combat vehicles, materials and life support systems,” the Minister added.
He said that India has proved its strong capabilities and efficiency in the fields of information technology and biotechnology. DRDO must make all-out efforts to bring about a convergence of nanotechnology with information technology and biotechnology.
“Today, technology is changing at a rapid pace and DRDO must do its best to keep abreast of the latest technological changes taking place the world over. If DRDO lags behind, the technology being developed by it will become obsolete and it will not be able to provide state-of-the-art equipment to our Armed Forces. Thus, it must be the endeavour of all scientists to be innovative and creative in thought and action”, the Minister said.
On this occasion, the Minister also presented the DRDO awards to the distinguished scientists for their achievements in developing technologies for Defence.