3rd BrahMos centre in Nagpur

July 6, 2012 Coimbatore - deccanchronicle.com

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is planning to set up a new production centre in Nagpur for BrahMos missiles, apart from the two existing ones, to meet the country’s defence needs.

Speaking to newsmen here on Thursday, V. K. Saraswat, scientific adviser to defence minister and director general of DRDO, said, “We are trying to meet India’s demand for BrahMos. It cannot be met with the existing two production centers in Hyderabad and Thiruvananthapuram. We need one more centre to produce them and it is likely to be in Nagpur.”

He indicated that there was a big demand for the missile from other countries like Indonesia and Malaysia. “But we are not thinking of exports now. We want to meet our own demands,” he said.

Interestingly, India is now into production of large number of first of its kind Akash missiles at various centres “Never before we have gone for such mass production of complex missiles. It is sign of our development, ” said Saraswat, adding that about 400 industries were directly or indirectly involved in the missile production. He also said that they had achieved 80 per cent self-sufficiency in missiles production.

Defence system for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear radiations (CBRN) is also being developed by DRDO for which over Rs 300 crores has been allocated.

The DRDO is also developing robotic soldiers, which would have sensors to detect mines and clear them too.

“The work is on at Bengaluru and Pune,” he said, adding that another work on robotic mules to carry 400 kg of load to high altitudes was also underway and the complete details of it could be available only by next year-end.

Saraswat indicated that they were also doing research to help reduce the crippling impact of high altitude on soldiers deployed there.

Interestingly, DRDO is also planning farming on high altitude to feed soldiers out there. Research is on to have tomato cultivation there, the DRDO chief added.

India close to self-reliance in defence

The self reliance index of the country in weapons manufacturing has gone up to 55 per cent in the last ten years, said V. K. Saraswat, director general of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

“India is now able to build the critical technologies on its own, without depending on other countries. We started to have an index on self-reliance a decade ago and when we see it, from 2002 to 2012, we have reached about 55 per cent, which is a significant improvement,” said Saraswat, during a press conference here on Thursday.

He was here to inaugurate the second phase of DRDO-BU research, which was a five-year project estimated at the cost of Rs 27 crore. He also inaugurated a transit facility for the DRDO scientists who come to take research at the BU’s DRDO center.

“Self reliance in technology means freedom from all controls. We build critical technologies when developed countries refrain from giving them. No country is fully independent and they get things from other countries as it is a global village. In the missile production, 80 per cent comes from our own country, while only the remaining 20 per cent is from others,” said Saraswat.

W. Selvamurthy, distinguished scientist, chief controller (R&D) DRDO, said that in collaboration with the BU, the first phase of research produced outstanding results and they were able to produce about seven patents.

“Interesting research on anthropometric dimension of women will be taken up in the second phase now, which is not available. There will be unique convergence of biotechnology, nanotechnology and information technology in this phase,” he pointed out. The BU’s DRDO centre would take up 23 projects soon in phase II.