SAMANVAY 2025: DRDO’s 12 Tech Transfers Ignite Private Defence Fire—From AI Sensors to Cyber Shields
At the SAMANVAY 2025 summit in Bengaluru (October 29–30), DRDO executed 12 Licensing Agreements for Transfer of Technology (LAToTs) covering eight breakthrough products to private industry—marking the largest single-day tech handoff in India’s defence history. With over 150 firms in attendance, DRDO Chairman Dr. Samir V Kamat declared: “We are not just transferring technology—we are transferring trust in India’s private sector.”
The Eight Game-Changing Technologies
AI-Powered Threat Sensors
Autonomous target classification using edge AI; 99% accuracy in cluttered environments.
Laser Photoacoustic Spectroscopy
Detects CBRN agents in 10 seconds; portable for border patrols.
Electronic Warfare Suite
Real-time jamming of enemy comms & radar; compact for UAVs.
Cyber Defence Shield
AI-driven intrusion prevention; secures tactical networks.
Quantum Key Distribution Module
Unhackable comms for tri-service ops.
Swarm Navigation Algorithm
GPS-denied coordination for 100+ drones.
Policy Backbone: From Lab to Factory in 18 Months
SAMANVAY 2025 wasn’t just a ceremony—it was a policy accelerator:
- 10 thematic sessions on R&D funding, testing, and certification
- Industry Interaction Groups (IIGs) to fast-track ToT
- 40% reduction in compliance burden for MSMEs
- iDEX integration: 2,000+ agreements in 2024 alone
Oct 2025
Transfer
Q1 2026
Prototype
Q3 2026
Trials
Q1 2027
Deployment
Impact: Jobs, Exports, and Battlefield Readiness
Projected outcomes:
- 200+ new MSME units in defence electronics
- ₹3,000 Cr in private investment by 2028
- Dual-use exports to ASEAN, Africa (CBRN kits, EW pods)
- 18-month lab-to-line cycle—vs. 5+ years globally
“Today, DRDO is not the sole innovator—it is the enabler of a thousand innovations.” — Dr. Samir V Kamat, Chairman, DRDO
