After Corporatising OFB, Centre Sets Up A Nine-Member Committee To Overhaul DRDO

In a significant step towards overhauling the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has formed a nine-member committee.

Led by former Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government, Prof K VijayRaghavan, the nine-member committee has been tasked with the mission to comprehensively overhaul the DRDO.

This comes after the Modi Government corporatised Ordnance Factory Board (OFBs) two years ago.

Corporatisation entailed the merger of 41 ordnance factories and other non-production units into seven new defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs).

This granted greater autonomy and flexibility at managerial and functional levels to the newly created DPSUs.

Remarkably, six out of the seven units turned profitable within a mere six months of their inception.

According to a report by Hindustan Times, the formation of the nine-member committee was initiated under the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The committee's primary objective is to compile a comprehensive report, outlining recommendations aimed at enhancing the adaptability of the DRDO amidst the rapidly evolving technological terrain.

The primary objective of this committee is to compile a comprehensive report outlining recommendations aimed at enhancing the agility of the DRDO within the context of rapidly evolving technological landscapes.

The committee is expected to submit a comprehensive report outlining their findings and recommendations within a span of three months.

The committee's constitutes experts like former Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Subrata Saha (Retd), former Vice Chief of Navy Staff Vice Admiral S N Ghormade, former Chief of Integrated Staff Air Marshal B R Krishna, DG of MP-IDSA Sujan R Chinoy, Prof Manindra Agarwal of IIT Kanpur, President of SIDM S P Shukla, head of Larsen and Toubro's Defence division J D Patil, distinguished scientist at ISRO Dr S Unnikrishnan Nair, and Financial Advisor at the Ministry of Defence Ms Rasika Chaube.

According to the report, the nine-member committee will work on various issues regarding overhaul and revamp DRDO organisation, as detailed below.

(1) Restructuring and Redefining: Revamp the roles of the Department of Defence (R&D) and the DRDO, in addition to their relationships with each other, academia, and industry.

(2) Enhancing Academia and Industry Participation: Foster increased engagement with academia, MSMEs, and start-ups in the development of advanced technologies.

(3) Manpower Optimisation: Attract and retain top-tier manpower through a project-based system supported by a well-structured incentives and disincentives framework. Accountability for performance is emphasized, and mechanisms to address underperformance are to be established.

(4) Global Collaborations: Leverage the expertise of NRIs/foreign consultants and promote cross-border collaborations to drive the advancement of cutting-edge and disruptive defence technologies.

(6) Modernizing Systems: Modernize administrative, personnel, and financial systems to expedite the implementation of projects.

(7) Laboratory Rationalization: Streamline laboratory structures and implement a more effective performance evaluation process.

This initiative holds immense significance, as it addresses concerns over accountability and delayed research within the organization.

The government's move is particularly noteworthy given the DRDO's traditional role, often resembling that of a government PSU, overseeing defence processes from research to development to production.