Rajnath Singh Announces DRDO Support Measures for MSMEs and Start-ups at VIMARSH 2026

Key facts

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh unveiled policy initiatives for MSMEs and deep-tech start-ups at the DRDO-Industry Synergy Meet 'VIMARSH 2026', held under the theme 'Varta se Vikas', including direct funding, incubation and mentorship support, and dedicated access to DRDO testing facilities.
• DRDO launched a standardised and secure framework for sharing its software source codes with licensee industries to accelerate software-defined defence capabilities and address technology obsolescence.
• Nine Licensing Agreements for Transfer of Technology (LAToTs) were handed over to 13 manufacturing partners, enabling commercial production of DRDO-developed defence systems.
• DRDO Chairman Rajesh Kumar Singh stated that over 2,300 technology transfers have been given to more than 1,100 industries, and technologies related to approximately 50 missiles have been made available to industry.
• DRDO signed MoUs with the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) and Laghu Udyog Bharati (LUB), and a contract with the Quality Council of India (QCI) for SAMAR Version 2.0 to benchmark manufacturing maturity of domestic defence enterprises.
• Rajnath Singh set a goal of achieving Aatmanirbharta in critical technologies by 2047 and highlighted reforms including Positive Indigenisation Lists, iDEX, the ADITI programme, and allocation of 25% of the defence R&D budget to the private sector.
• The Technology Development Fund (TDF) supports defence start-ups, with several TDF-backed technologies already reaching production stage.
• DRDO released two documents: 'Defence Systems for Resilient Bharat – Advancing Aatmanirbharta in Defence', covering systems developed between 2014 and 2026, and 'Guidelines for Human Resource Outsourcing Service Contracts in DRDO'.
• More than 250 defence industry leaders, officials and DRDO scientists attended VIMARSH 2026, which focused on emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, hypersonics, directed-energy systems, drone technology and cybersecurity.