‘Indigenisation in defence tech, helped India turn net exporter’

Metro India News | HYDERABAD

Former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday said India’s indigenisation efforts, especially in defence technologies and products have helped the country become a net exporter.

Speaking after being presented a book on AKASH missile system by its author and Padmasri Awardee G Chandramouli here, Naidu said scientists and technologists have contributed enormously in making India self-reliant in strategic sectors, a release said.

Chandramouli, former Project Director Akash and Programme Director, DRDL has documented the development of AKASH, the Supersonic Multiple target handling Surface to Air Missile (SAM) from ab-initio to induction into the armed forces and its successful demonstration of neutralising enemy aerial targets during ‘Operation Sindoor’ in May 2025, it said. Chandramouli has worked with the Akash missile project for 34 years plus from the early design stage (1983) to production and successful induction in 2015-18.

The book is titled AKASH- ‘The unprecedented success story of the first indigenous Supersonic Multi target surface to Air Missile System’. In the book, he has detailed the entire story from design to deployment with the contribution of scientists, stakeholders and highlighted the indigenous technology and management of a complex SAM project. The book is mainly authored by Chandramouli with contributions by Dr Prahlada, the first Project Director of Akash and former Chief Controller (R&D) of DRDO and from a few other Akash Scientists, the release added.