Article Posted on : - Jul 20, 2022

NEW DELHI (PTI):  The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has signed 1,464 'transfer of technology' agreements with Indian companies till date, Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt has said.

The DRDO is working relentlessly for enhancing self-reliance in defence sector by providing home grown indigenous state-of-the-art defence technologies to industries, as a continuous process, he said on Monday in his written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha.

"The DRDO transfers indigenously developed defence technologies to Indian industries by signing the Licensing Agreement for Transfer of Technology. Till date, DRDO has entered into 1,464 ToT agreements with industries," the minister noted.

In reply to another question, the minister said that the government is looking for collaboration with a foreign engine company for co-development and co-production of combat jet engines, which will have thrust higher than 80 kiloNewtons (kNs), for India's advanced medium combat aircraft.

Indigenous capability already exists with the DRDO and Indian industries for design, development and manufacturing of 80kN combat jet engine.

He said the share of foreign procurement in the total defence procurement in 2021-22 was 36.25 per cent.

In 2020-21 and 2019-20, the share of foreign procurement was 36.40 per cent and 41.18 per cent, respectively.