Eminent defence scientist Satheesh Reddy, who is now Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister after working as chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has said that the winds of change for the better blowing across all sectors and the country are transforming the nation from an entity importing technology to one exporting technology.
Delivering the fourth convocation address of Sharnbasva University online, Dr Reddy said that within five years, the country has seen 73,000 startups setting shop. These startups have come up in all spheres of the industrial sector right from the defence to the ancillary units to the IT industry.
Dr Reddy said that the Ministry of Defence has given the green signal to many new initiatives by startups in select areas of defence production. The Defence Research and Development Organisation is in the forefront of providing liberal assistance to meritorious students with innovative ideas. A sum of ₹10 crore is provided to students submitting bright proposals to the DRDO in defence-related R&D activities and at the industry level, DRDO extends assistance to an extent of ₹50 crore for design and development of innovative technology, he added.
