DRDO: built by merging three defence establishments, now a network of around forty-one laboratories

Background

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is the defence research and development agency of the Ministry of Defence, Government of India. DRDO was formed in 1958 from the amalgamation of the then already functioning Technical Development Establishment (TDEs) of the Indian Army and the Directorate of Technical Development and Production (DTDP) with the Defence Science Organisation (DSO). It began as a small organisation with 10 establishments or laboratories. Today DRDO is a network of around 41 laboratories together with 05 DRDO Young Scientist Laboratories (DYSLs), working across disciplines that include aeronautics, armaments, electronics, combat vehicles, engineering systems, instrumentation, missiles, advanced computing and simulation, special materials, naval systems, life sciences, training, information systems and agriculture. Among the systems it has developed indigenously are the Agni and Prithvi series of missiles, the light combat aircraft Tejas, the multi-barrel rocket launcher Pinaka and the air defence system Akash. Its motto is Balasya Mulam Vigyanam, which the organisation renders as the source of strength is science.