The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is participating in the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) 2025, being held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi from 3–5 November 2025. The event, themed “Viksit Bharat 2047 – Pioneering Sustainable Innovation, Technological Advancement, and Empowerment”, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 3 November 2025.

Jointly organised by 13 ministries and departments under the guidance of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, the conclave aims to foster collaboration between industry, academia, and research institutions to strengthen India’s innovation ecosystem.

During the inaugural session, the Prime Minister launched the Rs 1 trillion Research, Development and Innovation Fund, designed to boost a private sector-driven R&D ecosystem and accelerate India’s emergence as a global science and technology hub. He underscored the government’s efforts to encourage innovation and R&D within private industry as part of the broader Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.

The three-day conclave features expert talks, panel discussions, technology showcases, and presentations across 11 thematic areas. As one of the key organisers, DRDO is leading the session on ‘Electronics and Semiconductor Manufacturing’, with Dr Samir V Kamat, Secretary of the Department of Defence R&D and Chairman of DRDO, chairing the technical session on 5 November 2025.

Semiconductors, a critical component of modern technological ecosystems, power advanced systems in defence, healthcare, communications, transport, and space. DRDO has made notable progress in this domain by developing indigenous methods for producing 4-inch Silicon Carbide wafers and fabricating Gallium Nitride High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs) with power output capacities of up to 150W.

Other DRDO representatives participating in panel discussions include Smt Suma Varughese, Distinguished Scientist and Director General of Micro Electronic Devices, Computational Systems & Cyber Systems; Dr Ramalingam Balamuralikrishnan, Director of the Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory, Hyderabad; and Dr Somna Mahajan, Scientist-G at the Solid State Physics Laboratory, Delhi.

ESTIC 2025 has drawn more than 3,000 participants, including Nobel laureates, scientists, innovators, policymakers, and industry leaders. The deliberations are focusing on 11 strategic areas such as Advanced Materials and Manufacturing, Artificial Intelligence, Bio-Manufacturing, Blue Economy, Digital Communications, Semiconductor Manufacturing, Emerging Agricultural Technologies, Energy, Environment and Climate, Health Technologies, Quantum Science, and Space Technologies.

By highlighting its indigenous achievements in semiconductor research, DRDO aims to reaffirm India’s growing technological self-reliance and leadership in the global innovation landscape.