K. VijayRaghavan, India’s former top scientific advisor, is currently addressing a gathering of individuals involved in defense research from a room on the ground floor of the DRDO Bhawan in New Delhi. Tasked by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), VijayRaghavan is leading a comprehensive review of the Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the nation’s premier defense research agency. The objective of this review is to completely overhaul the organization, and VijayRaghavan has been given a deadline of November to submit his report. To aid him in this endeavor, VijayRaghavan has assembled a team of eight members from the armed forces and industry. However, the absence of any representatives from the DRDO itself on the panel has raised concerns within the agency’s headquarters. In addition to restructuring the DRDO’s role, the VijayRaghavan committee, established in the final week of August, has been tasked with finding solutions to attract and retain high-quality personnel through a system of incentives, disincentives, and strict performance accountability.

As the Union government embarks on this transformation of the DRDO, it looks to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) of the United States as a model. Established in 1958, the same year as the DRDO, DARPA is a funding agency that makes strategic investments for national security. It collaborates with academic institutions, industry partners, and government research and development organizations. The ultimate aim is to infuse professionalism into the DRDO, encourage greater participation from academia and start-ups, and, in doing so, address the persistent issues of project delays and cost overruns that have marred its reputation.

Tasked by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), he is reviewing the role of the nation’s premier defence research agency, the Defence Research and Development Organisation or DRDO, with the goal to fully revamp it, and has a November deadline to submit his report. To assist him, VijayRaghavan has an eight-member team drawn from the armed forces and industry. However, the absence of anyone from the DRDO itself in the panel has raised eyebrows in the agency headquarters. Besides restructuring DRDO’s role, the VijayRaghavan committee—set up in the last week of August—is mandated to find solutions to attract and retain high-quality manpower through a system of incentives and disincentives and strict performance accountability.

While embarking on this transformation of the DRDO, the Union government has in mind the example of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) of the United States. Set up in 1958—the same year as DRDO—DARPA is a funding agency that makes “breakthrough investments for national security” and works with academic, industry and government R&D institutions. The ultimate goal is to inject professionalism in the DRDO, maximise academic and start-up participation and, through it all, address the chronic charges of delayed projects and cost overruns that tarnish its reputation.