States » SouthPosted at: Oct 1 2026 1:17PM


Education, innovation key to India’s defence technology growth: Former DRDO Chairman Dr Samir V Kamat

Hyderabad, Oct 1 (UNI) Former DRDO Chairman Dr Samir V Kamat urged young graduates to embrace lifelong learning, perseverance, collaboration, and calculated risk-taking as they begin their professional journeys.
Addressing the 26th Convocation of the University of Hyderabad (UoH) as the chief guest at the Global Peace Auditorium, Brahma Kumaris Shanti Sarovar, on Thursday, Dr Kamat said graduation marked not the end of education but the beginning of a new phase of learning.
He congratulated the graduating students and said the knowledge and skills acquired at UoH would stand them in good stead throughout their careers.
Recalling his own career after completing his PhD in 1988, Dr Kamat said he chose to return to India and join the Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory in Hyderabad. His experience in DRDO taught him the importance of being flexible and adaptable, collaborating with others, taking calculated risks, continuously upgrading skills and persevering over long periods.
He highlighted the long association between DRDO and the University of Hyderabad, noting that a centre for research in high-energy materials established in 2005 was converted into a DRDO Industry-Academia Centre of Excellence in 2023, with additional research verticals.
He said the development reflected the university’s contribution to defence research and technology.
Dr Kamat outlined DRDO’s role in developing indigenous defence technologies and cited systems including the Agni missile series, Light Combat Aircraft, airborne early warning and control systems, Arjun main battle tank, Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher and Akash air-defence missile system. He also referred to ongoing work in areas such as hypersonic missiles, advanced combat aircraft, air-to-air missiles, air-independent propulsion, autonomous underwater vehicles, space technologies, directed-energy weapons and advanced armoured platforms.
Referring to Operation Sindoor, Dr Kamat said the success of military operations also depended on the technological backbone provided by indigenous research institutions. He cited sensors, unmanned platforms, secure communications, AI-assisted systems and precision weaponry, including Akash and BrahMos systems and other command-and-control technologies. He described Operation Sindoor as demonstrating India’s capabilities in self-reliance, strategic foresight and indigenous technological strength.
Sharing examples from India’s defence research journey, Dr Kamat recalled the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme initiated in Hyderabad in 1983 under former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. He said the programme demonstrated the importance of staying the course while pursuing challenging goals. He also cited the development of air-independent propulsion for submarines as an example of taking up difficult challenges and calculated risks.
He also highlighted India’s efforts to develop rare-earth permanent magnets after disruptions in the availability of imported raw materials. A collaborative effort involving atomic energy institutions, DMRL and ARCI helped develop the complete cycle of extracting rare earths, producing alloys and manufacturing magnets, he said.
Dr Kamat urged students not to fear failure, saying that failures provide valuable lessons for future success. He said DRDO had established five young scientist laboratories focused on emerging areas such as cyber-physical systems, quantum technologies, smart materials, asymmetric technologies and artificial intelligence.
He said DRDO had also established 15 industry-academia centres of excellence in leading academic institutions, including one at the University of Hyderabad, with the objective of fostering collaborative innovation and developing cutting-edge defence technologies.
With rapid advances in technology and national missions in areas such as quantum technologies, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, cyber-physical systems and critical minerals, Dr Kamat said the graduating students were entering the professional world at an exciting time. He stressed that students from social sciences, humanities, management and arts would also have an important role in India’s development by 2047.
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Tags: #Education# innovation key to India’s defence technology growth: Former DRDO Chairman Dr Samir V Kamat
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