The government today called upon the scientific community to make advancements in technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) to prepare the nation to deal with future threats.
Addressing the National Technology Day function organised by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt said the government was making all efforts to meet the defence requirements through domestic procurement. He exhorted all sectors of the defence ecosystem to work together to achieve excellence in cutting-edge technologies.
The minister lauded the efforts of DRDO in establishing a self-reliant R&D ecosystem which provided the armed forces with state-of-the-art equipment in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
“DRDO has proved itself through design, development and production of highly-sophisticated weapon platforms/systems. It has enhanced the involvement of the private sector. Due to these efforts, India is now among the top 25 nations exporting defence equipment,” he said.
The National Technology Day is observed on 11 May every year to commemorate the nuclear tests conducted in Pokhran in 1998. The theme this year is ‘Integrated Approach in Science and Technology for Sustainable Future’.
The minister also distributed DRDO awards for the year 2019 to the scientific fraternity for displaying outstanding acumen in realising the technological dreams of the nation.