The Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme is a flagship programme of Ministry of Defence executed by DRDO under ‘Make in India’ initiative. The main objectives of the scheme are enumerated below:

• To provide Grant in Aid to Indian industries, including MSMEs and Start-ups, as well as academic and scientific institutions for the development of Defence and dual use technologies that are currently not available with the Indian defence Industry.
• To engage with the private industries especially MSMEs and Start-ups to bring in the culture of Design & Development of Military Technology and support them with Grant in Aid.
• To focus on Research, Design & Development of Niche technologies which are being developed for the first time in the country.
• To create a bridge amongst the Armed Forces, research organizations, academia and qualifying/certifying agencies with private sector entities.
• To support the futuristic technologies having a Proof of Concept and converting them into prototype.

The benefits sought to be gained by the scheme are as follows:

• Capacity and capability building of Indian industries for design and development of defence technologies in the country.
• Creation of an ecosystem of R&D where industry and Academia work together to meet the current and futuristic requirement of Armed Forces and defence sector.
• Building of Defence manufacturing ecosystem in country.
• Achieving ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence technology.

Till date, a total of 70 projects at total cost of Rs 291.25 crore have been sanctioned to various industries and 16 defence technologies have been successfully developed/realised under the scheme.

This information was given by Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Ajay Bhatt in a written reply to Shri Tapir Gao in Lok Sabha today.

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