MSME Partnership With Large Industries Key For Defence Indigenisation: DRDO

New Delhi, Dec 6 (KNN) The working and contribution of MSME sector with the large industries as well as DRDO is essential to achieve government’s target to increase the indigenous content in defence and aerospace sector to more than 70 per cent in the next 3-4 years, said Samir V Kamat, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman, Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO).

Delivering an inaugural address at the 3rd edition of India MSME Defence Week organised by EEPC India, Kamat spoke about the various initiatives DRDO has started to promote the MSME sector and one such initiative is Technology Development Fund (TDF).

“To promote MSME sectors, DRDO has started several initiatives. The most important initiative is the Technology Development Fund. This is a Fund which allows us to fund MSMEs to take technologies from TRL (technology readiness level) level 3-4 to TRL level 6-7 so that those technologies then be converted to products and brought to the market,” he said.

The DRDO Chairman said that the TDF scheme not only provides funds to MSMEs but also mentorship and hand-holding.

Earlier a maximum of Rs 10 crore per project was being provided under TDF but now the funding has been increased to Rs 50 crore per project, Kamat noted as he urged the MSMEs to take benefits of the scheme.

The TDF scheme seeks to promote the indigenous development of components, products, systems, and technologies by MSMEs and start-ups.

EEPC India Chairman Arun Kumar Garodia said that DRDO's support for MSMEs is helping to ensure that India has a strong and vibrant defence manufacturing sector.

“A strong foundation of R&D Innovations in industries is critical for a competitive defence sector. In this direction, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is helping MSMEs in several ways, including providing financial assistance, technical assistance, and facilitating collaboration between MSMEs and defence PSUs,” Garodia said.

(KNN Bureau)