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52 DRDO labs should come up with at least two models: Defence Minister
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman urged the scientists of NSTL (Naval Science and Technology Laboratory), which is part of DRDO, to put in their best to develop more innovative technology so that defence equipment and weapons can be developed indigenously thus reducing the thrust of defence imports.
She was speaking at a function on transfer of technology to industry (ToT), here at NSTL in Visakhapatnam on Saturday.
“You have the potential and scope to scale up your efforts and bring out newer things. There is no shortage of capability and capacity and your efforts will take us towards realising the ‘make in India’ dream,” she said.
The Defence Minister went ahead to say that DRDO need not keep everything secretive and under cloud. “What is necessary keep them shrouded in secrecy, but you can always showcase the ones that have commercial value. We need to increase our defence exports and at the same time we need to show our countrymen what you are designing with the tax-payers money,” said Ms. Sitharaman.
The Defence Minister urged DRDO Chairman S. Christopher to ask all the 52 DRDO labs to come up with at least two models to be showcased at the upcoming Defence Expo in New Delhi.
“I will allot stalls to all the 52 labs in the expo, but you have come up with innovative models. NSTL has only three patents so far and it needs to be improved,” she said.