Why the Government decides to revamp DRDO?

The government’s decision to evaluate the operations of the DRDO and the entire defence research and production ecosystem has been a long-awaited step. The decision has been finally arrived at due to concerns about its lack of accountability and delayed research, as expressed by its end users in the armed forces. Critics allege the DRDO’s operational model resembles a government Public Sector Undertaking (PSU), which often regards the entire defence process – spanning research, development, and production – as its exclusive jurisdiction. Established in 1958 with ten labs, the DRDO had grown into a monolith with over 50 labs. It was initially envisioned to facilitate the domestic production of India’s weaponry needs. However, this objective has yet to materialise, and its production output has remained notably inadequate. This deficiency is clearly illustrated by India’s continued reliance on imports to fulfill most of its military requirements. The quality of DRDO products often falls short of expectations, leading to rejections by the armed forces.