DRDO reforms must for meeting modern warfighting requirements, says Lt Gen Subrata Saha

The government’s intent to restructure and rejig India’s premier defence research monolith, the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) is now evident. A nine-member committee that was appointed to assess and revamp the DRDO operations has already submitted its report. The committee was tasked with generating recommendations to review and redefine the department’s role and align it with India’s futuristic technological requirements in the defence domain. Lt Gen Subrata Saha (retd), who previously served as Deputy Chief of Army Staff, who had also initiated several reforms within the military as well as outside after superannuation and someone who is closely associated with the development and progress of the Indian defence industry was one of the members of the committee. In this conversation with Editor-in-Chief Nitin Gokhale, Editor-in-Chief of BharatShakti Gen Saha has made several suggestions. He said, “DRDO has to reform itself and move with times as these reforms will take DRDO to the next level to place in the broader defence R&D ecosystem”. Watch this interview for more insights into the reforms initiated for DRDO and the Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) restructuring.
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[@prashanthds7789]

Indian Army won't induct anything that is developed within country, but wants reforms in DRDO. What is the achievement of Army Design Bureau so far?

[@user-ge9zk7rk7x]

In the public knowledge its Asmi gun and some drones.

[@prashanthds7789]

@@user-ge9zk7rk7x seen news about orders placed on both asmi and Taurus(Imported) from Jindal. Equal.quantity of both. So there is nothing atmanirbhar going on.

[@AtramentousMindframe-ju5fx]

Not only, IA will scuttle indigenous equipments for inferior foreign ones. Look at what IA did to Arjun vis a vis T-90. We all saw the CAG audit report, we saw how the army was handicapping Arjun against T-90s. Arjuns still won the head to head trials but IA duplicitously still chose T90s. It made fake promises of further orders, kept leaking rubbish to the media and kept dilly dallying Arjun in tests for years. And now look what happened, The 1500hp MTU engine is out of production in Germany and we have to wait 5 more year until it restarts or make an indigenous 1500hp engine, which is what DRDO ks doing, which I'm confident army will make some excuse against. Look at how the ATAGS are stuck in testing and some other bureaucratic procurement procedure while the same *INDIAN* army fast tracked and procured M777 from the US in record time, even after its barrel burst. We worship the army too much, while they behave like bureaucrats.

[@prashanthds7789]

@@AtramentousMindframe-ju5fx precisely. All information is out in public domain and IA tries to whitewash us when it comes to atmanirbhar.

[@nitin6616]

Request the Lt Gen about what the Indian Army did to the Arjun. Made DRDO jump through hoops, all but sabotaged the program, inducted a disaster called the T90 which has multiple flaws. He is all too keen upon reforming the org that is developing multiple partners to broadbase the tech, is unable to understand how essential it is to develop these capabilties with multiple partners like ATAGS and Pinaka, to avoid overreliance on one firm alone, but the org that needs reform to actually understand how development is done is completely left alone. Talks about sustenance and avoids mentioning that most of the Armys existing equipment is routed via Russia, France, Israel and cant be maintained easily at all. If such a distinguished, erudite and accomplished individual is unable to understand the basics of DRDOs approach to industrial development , then what hope is there of true reform. All the fancy talk apart, clearly the ire with DRDO is it blocks imports and licensed deals. Otherwise why would he bring up ATAGS or Pinaka which are both examples of true domestic R&D, trials and tribulations included.

[@shuvampradhan1106]

All these people are working to kill DRDO with slow poison. With DTC where there will be no one from DRDO most of the equipment will be bit tweaked n licensed manufacture with more than 60% IC like K-9 Vajra n will be called Indigenous. They think we are all Chutiyas n we have no knowledge about defence. After killing Arjun they are on path to kill ATAGS, WhAP n Light Tank. Lt Gen Saha also fooled us by suggesting DRDO should focus on Technology Development rather than Product development. Both are interlinked n that's why DRDO can't be kept out of Product development. That's why it started DcPP which is providing a level playing field to DPSUs n Private Players. Here the PP is involved from prototyping phase. The way ahead is all DRDO projects being executed in DcPP model with user involvement from start of program. We need to make interface between DRDO n AFs smooth n better. DRDO needs reform but not the way as suggested by Lt Gen Saha.

[@AtramentousMindframe-ju5fx]

True. Army has been hobbling indigenous equipment in tests that take years while the factories remain unoccupied and operating at a loss. Arjun was stuck doing tests and during that time, MTU stopped producing the 1500hp engines. One might think, IA was hoping something like this will happen. What a betrayal. 😢 Otoh, IA cleverly enough fast track foreign equipment like the M777, even after said equipment suffer barrel bursts. Where's ATAGS dear IA?

[@martandgurjar4303]

Only thing that require reforms is procurement procedure...

[@user-yf4ff7sv6l]

Yes; our purchase procedures are archaic and quite stifling for running a fast race. Havig said this, one must also admit that scientists and technocrats are shying away from strict accountability and few blatant misuses of the freedom were also there.

[@sreeharsha1828]

Niche and critical technologies for DRDO while IA keeps buying imported products with sticker of "Make in India". DRDO will lose its decision making capacity to choose its projects, but that power is given to a council loaded with users who prefer imports, private players and academic institutions. Basically taking away the autonomy of the DRDO to come up with indigenous products when IA wants to induct imported products like athos and kamov etc. In the name of next gen, it is just scuttling the defence research capacity of India. The biggest legacy institution in in India is the armed forces. There should be an independent body to conduct trials of defence products. When user i.e, IA conducts trials there is natural tendency to reject indigenous products over imported products.

[@nitin6616]

Well said and forthrightly articulated. IA wanted to kill literally every indigenous program over "ready imports". How long can this farce of atmanirbharta passed off as IDDM continue while the IA loads up on imported items that cannot even be maintained at wartime. Gen Naravane says he was worried about the supply chain upon thinking of war with China. This is what happens when our generals heap scorn on DRDO but chase imports from countries that can't even supply us.

[@KulkarniNik]

You are right. No difficult questions asked by the interviewer.

[@barneylinux]

Excellent interview Nitin ji, this interview illuminating.

[@gabbarrf1745]

Kick drdo out of the loop import foreign equipment with "made in India" stickers. Everyone happy.

[@Roventis]

This is an underrated defence channel.❤

[@sanjaytabib7182]

This is very informative,educative.. Looking into the requirements of perspective planning for next 25 years or so. Thank you Gen Sah Sir for your in depth study and presentation which sets the think tanks get going for self reliance,reforms needed to meet the national goal by 2050 or so ..

[@aeroshiv]

Very interesting & informative Need to reorient bureaucratic characteristics of our research & QA organisations Users must get involved in major projects in DRDO from the inception stage Project leader should be service offr with tech background at least matching if not higher than other members of the team Small projects or those by reverse engineering or re-engineering route should be handled at Service/Command HQ Design bureaus Services have an immense talent pool of highly qualified engineers who can do wonders Indian industries have taken great strides to the next level No need for Shaktiman when Tatas can do a much better job For example Bombs rockets have no moving parts & are simple to make?Why need to import in the past? Congratulations to General Saha for telling the truth candidly I retired 28 yrs back Worked in various organisations

[@triochansingh5083]

DRDO has to put on war footing as the next 10 years are very challenging.

[@sudeeplimaye4399]

Insightful. Thank you. The foundational framework is being created for the great leap forward.

[@sasikumart6693]

Good and informative!

[@nagarajanp4386]

TR Sir. Very interesting and informative interview. You are our inspiration sir. God bless.

[@amarnishant7464]

Excellent. Clear headed General

[@moodyaman170]

🙏Namaskaram to real son of mother India

[@sukanta6682]

Before DRDO start with the army first.

[@PlasmodiumV]

How many decades will Indian Army take to upgrade basic equipments for non commissioned soldiers ? Many African militias these days use better equipments than large chunk of indian army soldiers. I still see ADGPI social media posts where 🇮🇳 soldiers wear 70's era helmet, machine gun from 50's, rifles wothout scope, no plate career vests etc.

[@aschauhan9392]

We are failed a combat uav for requirements of our army .we are not working good wa many many projects are delay.so frdo must be reforms.also gov are not giving rand and resuarch

[@deepak.3232]

🎉🎉🎉

[@irsharma]

Why can’t Subrata Saha talk with Defence Minister itself?

[@Futurebhartiya]

The Defence Minister should be a person having a background of serving in the Armed Forces. A "Kadi Ninda" civilian is not suitable for the job.

[@avisaha8917]

Honestly liked the opinion of Mr Saha... DAC shld take the decision which equipment is to be manufactured by DRDO & which equip shall be manufactured by private industry startups... the more contracts r given to startups, pvt cos the faster we'll get them delivered to the army #drdo #indianarmy #bharatshakti

[@blackbirds1440]

Yes. Exactly this should be done. Now DRDO ventures into everything even if some relatively low tech items can be developed by the industry itself. DRDO needs to work on the tech, not on the products itself. They need to focus on new tech development instead of indigenising the foreign techs.

[@TheGuildofIntrigue]

Nitin, will u interview Pravin Sawhney?

[@pinaky_AnVikSiki]

DRDO needs the next level R&D aspirations with greater appetite for critical technology which quality preserving future sustainable needs... collaborative with private players needs for more skilled manpower appreciations... quality assurance needs more updates manner that standard not deprecated without conflict of interests...

[@arijitpalit2756]

DRDO needs funding and less beaurocracy, apetite is already there.

[@jigsaw2281]

Engine, designs and next generation technology should be develop bh drdo other than everything

[@user-yf4ff7sv6l]

DRDO should understand the mood of Army and should strive honestly to deliver what our Jawans need; NOT WHAT THEY THINK THE ARMY NEEDS !. This lack of empathy between DRDO and the army is quite disheartening. DRDO is and should not be another open ended blue eyed R&D unit

[@navneet8269]

Nitin ji sawagat hai, hawa main khaber hai KAVERI en.2.0 tayar ho gaya hai !? DRDO reforms ka jet engine technology main boost aayegi !?

[@ThinkerPari-zq6rb]

DRDO can't change let us accept it.

[@SrRonald706]

😢😢😢😢

[@COSMICTUNECOMM]

Drdo should follow darpa usa

[@mohindersagoch1786]

General officer with a great vision...😊🙏

[@TJ-wo1xt]

Nice one

[@PlasmodiumV]

DRDO needs financial support to modernise their labs and prototype fabrication facilities . Buildings they work in are decades old, much like abandoned military facilities of USSR. Also they need to hire smarter people who are not hoπny moπons and not willing to share job secrets to fake girl accounts on social media.