Ministry of Defence
TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT FUND SCHEME
Posted On:
25 JUL 2025 3:17PM by PIB Delhi
An additional grant or Corpus of Rs 500 crore has been approved by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh to cater for Deep-tech and cutting-edge projects as separate verticals under Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme. The process of the selection and identification of Deep Tech projects has been initiated. Currently, nine projects are launched under this initiative by TDF and nine industries are engaged in four projects sanctioned through DRDO Industry-Academia Centres of Excellence (DIA-CoEs) under the Grants in Aid Scheme of DRDO.
Projects are covering the research areas like Powder Metallurgy, High Power Microwave Sources & Devices, Advanced Ballistics, Smart and Intelligent Textile Technology, Photonic Technologies, Aerospace Systems and Materials, Micro and Nano Systems Science & Technology, Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, Quantum Technology, Naval Systems and Naval Technologies, High Power CW Laser Source, Additive Manufacturing, Advanced Materials & Processing, Aero Engine, Desert Warfare Technologies, AI for Information and War-gaming Technologies, Advanced Nano Materials, Sensors based on Semiconductors etc. The list of institutes involved is given below:
|
S No
|
State
|
Institute of PI
|
Institute of Co-PI
|
No of Projects Sanctioned
|
|
1
|
Andhra Pradesh
|
IIT Tirupati
|
|
1
|
|
GITAM University
|
|
1
|
|
College of Engineering Andhra University Visakhapatnam
|
|
1
|
|
2
|
Arunachal Pradesh
|
Central Agricultural University, Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh
|
Pacchunga University College, Aizawl (01)
|
1
|
|
3
|
Assam
|
IIT Guwahati
|
Assam University,
State Public Health Lab, Assam
Mizoram University
|
2
|
|
CSIR-NEIST, Jorhat
|
IIT Jammu (01)
|
4
|
|
4
|
Delhi
|
IIT Delhi
|
AIIMS (01),
IIIT Delhi (01)
|
56
|
|
5
|
Gujarat
|
Gujarat University
|
|
2
|
|
SVNIT, Surat
|
C K Pithawala , Surat(01)
|
1
|
|
6
|
Jammu and Kashmir
|
IIT Jammu
|
|
2
|
|
Central University, Jammu(CUJ)
|
|
7
|
|
7
|
Jharkhand
|
IIM Ranchi
|
|
1
|
|
8
|
Karnataka
|
IISc Bengaluru
|
CoEP Pune(01),
IIT Madras (01),
NAL Bengaluru (01)
|
36
|
|
National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru
|
|
2
|
|
NIT Surthakal
|
ARCI Hyderabad(01),
CGC RI Kolkata(01)
|
1
|
|
IIT Dharwad
|
|
1
|
|
9
|
Madhya Pradesh
|
Atal Bihari Vajpayee Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management (ABV-IIITM) Gwalior
|
|
1
|
|
10
|
Maharashtra
|
IIT Bombay
|
|
16
|
|
DIAT Pune
|
|
2
|
|
11
|
Meghalaya
|
NIT Meghalaya
|
NIT Manipur
|
1
|
|
12
|
Mizoram
|
Mizoram University
|
NIT, Nagaland (01)
|
10
|
|
NIT Mizoram
|
|
1
|
DRDO has Long Term Directed Research Policy (LTDRP) for engaging academia. Projects are monitored at three stages in regular intervals throughout the year. Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) evaluates the new project proposals and does regular technical progress monitoring. Research Advisory Board (RAB) reviews the new projects recommended by TEC and also monitors sanctioned projects for their progress and addresses the techno managerial issues of Centre of Excellence (CoE) and the projects. Governing Council approves the projects, oversees the overall functioning of the Centre and projects sanctioned through the Centre.
The awarded projects under TDF scheme to various industries are guided & monitored regularly by Project Monitoring and Mentoring Group (PMMG) as per milestones till the completion of the projects. A Technical Committee (TC) meeting chaired by Director General (Technology Management) (DGTM) held every month and Empowered Committee (EC) meeting chaired by Secretary DDR&D and Chairman DRDO held once in four months to monitor the progress of the awarded projects. Trials and Certification are conducted to monitor the outcome of the projects. DRDO regularly interacts with Services & DPSUs for informing them about all new Deep tech projects and their progress so that they can be utilised.
The existing centres are in the process of getting stabilized and matured for the outcome driven research projects. Considerable efforts are being put by to bring the existing centres into the fold of industry and academic collaborative research. The new centres commissioned in 2022 are still streamlining the research for defence oriented practical outcomes. In view of this, there are no immediate plans to establish new DIA-CoEs, but in order to expand the collaborative research, projects can be explored through any of the established DIA-CoEs. Faculty from any of the academic institutes can send the concept notes or research proposal on the common R&D interest areas of DRDO to any of the existing DIA-CoEs.
This information was given by Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth in a written reply to Shri Naveen Jindal in the Lok Sabha today.
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VK/Savvy/Nirmit
(Release ID: 2148335)