The defence minister, Rajnath Singh, has authorized the transfer of technologies, including conventional missile systems developed by DRDO, to eligible Indian defence manufacturers to set up indigenous production. In this process, mature and proven missile technologies are being moved from development to industrial-level mass production. The manufacturers will need to have applicable technical qualifications, certification levels, and regulatory requirements in place.
The scope for wider participation in the missile production chain would occur to some extent also due to technology transfer, where state-owned manufacturers, private firms, MSMEs & specialized manufacturers could develop expertise and participate in components and sub-components, electronics, propellants, guidance systems and associated mechanisms, launch systems and integration with greater depth.
There is scope for increased industrial involvement, which could bring about a higher level of domestic production and value addition, thereby lowering defence imports reliance. Increased industrial involvement could enable DRDO labs to focus more on research in newer and advanced technologies, while existing and developed systems may be produced industrially. A drastic policy shift, as it marks a change in treating private Indian companies as long-term technology and production partners in defence manufacturing. Its success hinges on technological absorption capability, quality testing procedures, test facilities, and orders.
