India's Defence Economy
DRDO and Defence Research
The role of India's Defence Research and Development Organisation, its successes and delays, and why defence R&D is hard.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is India’s main defence research agency.
What it does
DRDO runs dozens of laboratories developing missiles, radars, electronic systems, aircraft and more.
Successes
- Missiles: the Agni and Prithvi series, and Akash.
- BrahMos, developed with Russia.
- Radars and electronic warfare systems.
- Mission Shakti (2019): an anti-satellite missile test.
Delays
Some projects, like the Kaveri jet engine, faced long delays and didn’t meet goals, leaving India reliant on foreign engines.
Why defence R&D is hard
- Technological complexity.
- High costs and long timelines.
- Limited industrial base to manufacture designs.
- Export controls limiting access to technologies.
Spending
India’s defence R&D spending is a small share of the defence budget, compared with larger shares in countries like the US.
Spillovers
Defence research often creates civilian benefits, like materials, electronics and software.
New models
DRDO increasingly transfers technology to private industry and partners with academia and startups.
DRDO's Agni missile programme took decades, but built skills in propulsion and guidance that later supported space and other defence projects.
It often produces civilian spillovers.
- DRDO is India's main defence research agency.
- Successes include Agni, Akash and radars.
- Projects like the Kaveri engine faced delays.
- Defence R&D is costly and complex, with civilian spillovers.
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