The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has handed over seven advanced technologies developed under the Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme to the Army, Navy and Air Force. The technologies include an indigenous high-voltage power supply for airborne self-protection jammers; a tide-efficient gangway for naval jetties; advanced very low frequency–high frequency switching matrix systems; VLF loop aerials for underwater platforms; an indigenous waterjet propulsion system for fast interceptor craft; a novel process for recovering lithium precursors from used lithium-ion batteries; and a long-life seawater battery system for sustained underwater sensing and surveillance.

Each technology has been designed, developed and rigorously tested by Indian industry in close collaboration with DRDO experts and the three Services, reinforcing the TDF scheme’s emphasis on import substitution and the development of critical indigenous capabilities. The technologies were formally handed over during the meeting of DRDO’s Empowered Committee held at DRDO Bhawan, New Delhi, on 2 December 2025. The meeting was chaired by Dr Samir V. Kamat, Secretary of Defence R&D and Chairman of DRDO, and attended by senior representatives of the Armed Forces, the Department of Defence Production and DRDO.

The Committee held detailed deliberations on a wide range of project proposals and approved 12 new projects in strategic, aerospace, naval and electronic warfare domains. These approvals reaffirm the Government’s commitment to strengthening domestic capability and reducing reliance on foreign technologies in critical and emerging areas.

Members discussed the framework for clearing projects under the TDF scheme and stressed the importance of accelerating end-to-end processing to ensure timely delivery and alignment with evolving operational and technological requirements of the Services. The Committee also reviewed the roadmap for technologies already developed and considered ways to streamline and execute subsequent acquisition processes to enable smooth induction and deployment.

The Committee further recommended key policy alignments and enabling mechanisms to fast-track operational integration of the developed technologies. Addressing the gathering, DRDO Chairman Dr Samir V. Kamat reiterated the Government’s dedication to advancing indigenous defence innovation in line with the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, highlighting the need for expedited execution of the TDF scheme.