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Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh unveiled a framework at VIMARSH 2026 to lower technical and financial entry barriers for MSMEs and deep-tech start-ups in defence R&D.
A standardised, secure framework for sharing DRDO-developed software source codes with licensee industries was launched.
Nine Licensing Agreements for Transfer of Technology were handed over to 13 manufacturing partners.
DRDO has transferred over 2,300 technologies to more than 1,100 industries to date, including technologies for about 50 missiles.
MoUs were exchanged with the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers and Laghu Udyog Bharati, and a contract signed with the Quality Council of India for SAMAR 2.0.
Fund industry, particularly MSMEs and start-ups, to develop defence technologies.
Key: Executed by DRDO under the 'Make in India' initiative; grants are provided to start-ups and several funded technologies have reached production stage.
Build an innovation ecosystem in defence and aerospace by engaging MSMEs, start-ups, individual innovators, R&D institutes and academia.
Key: Works through the Defence India Start-up Challenge and open challenges under the SPARK framework; iDEX Prime funds projects up to Rs 10 crore.
Give industry a single window to take up defence items for indigenous development and production.
Key: Launched by the Department of Defence Production in August 2020; DPSUs and Service Headquarters had offered more than 33,000 items for indigenisation up to June 2026.
Bar the import of listed items after a stated date, reserving them for domestic manufacture.
Key: Notified by the Ministry of Defence; the sixth list of 405 strategically important items, with an estimated business potential of Rs 3,070 crore, was notified in August 2026.
Support deep-tech innovation in defence, cited in the release alongside iDEX among the sector's recent reforms.
Key: Named by the Raksha Mantri as part of the reform set that also includes the Positive Indigenisation Lists and the 25 per cent private-sector share of the defence R&D budget.
India's premier defence R&D organisation, established in 1958; develops systems across aeronautics, missiles, armaments, microelectronics and naval systems and transfers the technology to industry for production
Industry association of Indian defence manufacturers; signed an MoU with DRDO at VIMARSH 2026 to expand industry outreach
National accreditation and quality body; contracted by DRDO to run SAMAR version 2.0, which rates the manufacturing maturity of domestic defence enterprises
GS Paper 3 > Security > Defence Indigenisation and Technology Development
General Awareness > Defence Organisations and Schemes
With reference to 'Quality Council of India (QCI)', consider the following statements: 1. QCI was set up jointly by the Government of India and the Indian Industry. 2. Chairman of QCI is appointed by the Prime Minister on the recommendations of the industry to the Government. Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Answer: Both 1 and 2
The instrument by which DRDO licenses a developed technology to an industry partner for commercial production; nine were handed over at VIMARSH 2026.
A model in which an industry partner joins a DRDO project during development rather than only at production, so that manufacturing capability is built alongside the technology.
System for Advance Manufacturing Assessment and Rating - the framework, now at version 2.0, that benchmarks the manufacturing maturity of domestic defence enterprises.