<p>“The value of the orders placed on DRDO technologies in the last six years amounts to Rs 1,10,000 crore,” Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister and DRDO chief V K Saraswat said at an international seminar that was curtain raiser for Aero India 2011 on Friday.<br /><br />Defence Minister A K Antony had completed the review, and now it was up to the Centre to approve the proposals, Saraswat said. <br /><br />DRDO has 20 active international partners, both mutually benefitting from the collaboration. The Indian civil aviation market has been growing at a significant rate (an estimated 30-32 per cent) giving ample scope for the entire avionics community to indulge in combined efforts in developing newer technologies, he said.<br /><br />The DRDO, said Saraswat, along with other defence units in the country has been moving towards involving the private industry. <br /><br />The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the atomic energy development organisations and the DRDO together have over 1,500 partners in private industry and it has worked well, he added.<br /><br />The private players have grown from being just component makers to sub-systems makers and the next shift must be them becoming lead engineering firms, using whose infrastructure, the nation can execute projects of large-scale like the light combat aircraft (LCA) programme successfully, Saraswat said.<br /><br />While the Aero India seminar’s focus is on international collaboration, the theme for the exhibition is on self-reliance, in reflection of the balance that the nation is trying to achieve. <br /><br />Tribals may get Army’s food pills<br /><br />The DRDO is proposing the use of nutrition pills developed specifically for the armed forces, in tribal areas with low nutrition levels.<br /><br />Organisation chief V K Saraswat said he and some DRDO officers struck upon this idea during their recent visit to tribal areas in Chhattisgarh.<br /><br />The Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL), Mysore, a DRDO lab, is the pioneer in the field of high-nutrition life-saving bars and pills for soldiers posted in extreme conditions such as Siachen.<br /><br /></p>
<p>“The value of the orders placed on DRDO technologies in the last six years amounts to Rs 1,10,000 crore,” Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister and DRDO chief V K Saraswat said at an international seminar that was curtain raiser for Aero India 2011 on Friday.<br /><br />Defence Minister A K Antony had completed the review, and now it was up to the Centre to approve the proposals, Saraswat said. <br /><br />DRDO has 20 active international partners, both mutually benefitting from the collaboration. The Indian civil aviation market has been growing at a significant rate (an estimated 30-32 per cent) giving ample scope for the entire avionics community to indulge in combined efforts in developing newer technologies, he said.<br /><br />The DRDO, said Saraswat, along with other defence units in the country has been moving towards involving the private industry. <br /><br />The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the atomic energy development organisations and the DRDO together have over 1,500 partners in private industry and it has worked well, he added.<br /><br />The private players have grown from being just component makers to sub-systems makers and the next shift must be them becoming lead engineering firms, using whose infrastructure, the nation can execute projects of large-scale like the light combat aircraft (LCA) programme successfully, Saraswat said.<br /><br />While the Aero India seminar’s focus is on international collaboration, the theme for the exhibition is on self-reliance, in reflection of the balance that the nation is trying to achieve. <br /><br />Tribals may get Army’s food pills<br /><br />The DRDO is proposing the use of nutrition pills developed specifically for the armed forces, in tribal areas with low nutrition levels.<br /><br />Organisation chief V K Saraswat said he and some DRDO officers struck upon this idea during their recent visit to tribal areas in Chhattisgarh.<br /><br />The Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL), Mysore, a DRDO lab, is the pioneer in the field of high-nutrition life-saving bars and pills for soldiers posted in extreme conditions such as Siachen.<br /><br /></p>
