DRDO and IIT Delhi Forge Key Defense Collaborations at DIA-CoE

DRDO-Industry-Academia Centre of Excellence (DIA-CoE) organised an event titled ‘DRDO-Industry-Academia - Global Approach to Readiness of Indigenous Military Applications’ (DIA-GARIMA) at IIT Delhi on December 19, 2024. During the event, 10 tripartite agreements were signed among DRDO, IIT Delhi and industry partners, in the presence of Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat; Director, IIT Delhi Prof Rangan Banerjee and industry representatives.

The details of the agreements are as follows, Transfer of technology for developing Light Weight Bullet Resistant Jackets (ABHED - Advanced Ballistic High Energy Defeat) has been satisfactorily transferred to three key beneficiaries: MIDHANI in Rohtak, SMPP Pvt Ltd in Delhi, and AR Polymers (MKU) in Kanpur. The move is likely to give a boost to indigenous manufacturing capability in the defense and safety sector, particularly in advanced ballistic protection gear.

In addition, a Memorandum of Agreement has been signed with Reliance Industries Ltd. for the development of indigenous ballistic materials. This partnership is expected to significantly enhance India's self-reliance in producing high-performance materials used in defense and security applications.

Another major development is that an MoA has been signed for the limited series production of Extreme Cold Weather Clothing. The three companies involved in this MoA are Aeronav Industrial Safety Appliance, Delhi; Arnaf Industries Ltd.; and Arrow Garments, Tirupur. This collaboration is expected to strengthen India's capability to produce specialized clothing designed for extreme cold conditions so that personnel operating in high-altitude and harsh weather environments are adequately equipped.

In addition, an MoA has been signed for the small series production of Extreme Heat Protective Clothing. The MoA includes partnerships with Arrow Garments in Tirupur, Aeronav Industrial Safety Appliance in Delhi, and Katalyst TECHTEX Ltd. in Delhi. This will respond to the increasing demand for protective clothing designed to endure extreme heat, thereby giving safety gear to personnel working at high temperatures. 

To integrate academia and industry into defence R&D, DRDO promulgated the Long Term Directed Research Policy of Ministry of Defence. Under this policy, DIA-CoEs pursue focused directed research for developing futuristic defence technologies. Aligned with the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative, these centres leverage the expertise of faculty and researchers of the institute in collaboration with DRDO laboratories and Indian industries to meet national security needs. DIA-CoEs are being facilitated by the Directorate of Futuristic Technology Management (DFTM) under the Technology Management cluster of DRDO.

Joint Advanced Technology Centre of DRDO, established in 2017 at IIT Delhi, was converted to DIA-CoE, envisaging association of Indian industry for translation of knowledge to high technology readiness. Over the past seven years, around 50 research projects have been initiated under five technology verticals, with a total funding of Rs 375 crore from DRDO. The focus has been on soldier-centric innovations, including high-performance lightweight body armour, advanced aerostat materials, smart soldier jackets, terahertz technology for spectroscopy, firefighter heat protection gear, and extreme cold-weather jackets.

Each project is enabled to ensure high technology readiness levels for DRDO's advanced systems, with potential civil applications as well. The DIA-CoE, IIT Delhi has engaged nearly 100 faculty members and 200 research scholars in its research areas to achieve self-reliance in defence technology improving the capability and capacity of defence R&D in the country. Standard Operating Procedures for Engaging Industry through academia was brought out by DFTM, DRDO to engage the industry actively through DIA-CoEs. This SOP has paved the path for activating the ‘I’ part of DIA-CoE.

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh, during an exhibition on the sidelines of the inauguration of Indian National Academy of Engineering’s annual convention showed keen interest in the products made by the joint collaborations under DIA-CoE. He Interacted with the scientists, professors, researchers and industry partners, congratulating them for their collective achievements.