Which one organisation stands behind India’s nuclear submarine, its supersonic cruise missile and its home-built fighter jet? It is DRDO.
This lesson tells the story of DRDO in simple steps. You will see how it began, what it built, who led it and what is new in 2026. It ends with the traps that exam setters like.
- Founded: 1958, by merging three older bodies.
- Home: Ministry of Defence, headquarters in New Delhi, over 50 laboratories.
- Motto: “Balasya Mulam Vigyanam” — strength’s origin is in science.
- IGMDP: built Agni, Prithvi, Akash, Nag and Trishul, from the early 1980s to 2007.
- INS Arihant: first deterrence patrol on 5 November 2018 completed the nuclear triad.
- New chief: Rajesh Kumar Singh took additional charge on 31 May 2026.
How Did DRDO Begin, and What Does It Look Like Today?
When and why was DRDO founded?
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) was founded in 1958.
The goal was simple. India wanted its own research arm for the armed forces.
Before this, the military leaned on imported technology. A home lab could design weapons to fit India’s own needs.
Which three bodies were merged to form DRDO?
DRDO came from joining three existing bodies:
- The Technical Development Establishment.
- The Directorate of Technical Development and Production.
- The Defence Science Organisation.
At the start it was small. It had only about ten laboratories.
Sources: India Science and Technology Portal: DRDO; IAS Gyan: DRDO explained.
How big is DRDO now?
DRDO works under the Ministry of Defence. Its headquarters are in New Delhi.
Today it runs a network of over 50 laboratories.
The labs cover many fields. These include missiles, aircraft, armaments, materials and naval systems.
Sources: IAS Gyan: DRDO explained.
What does DRDO’s motto mean?
The motto is “Balasya Mulam Vigyanam”. It means “Strength’s origin is in science.”
The idea is plain. A strong army needs strong science behind it.
Check 1
DRDO was formed in 1958 by merging three existing bodies.
Check 2
DRDO works under the Ministry of Education.
What Has DRDO Built?
What was the IGMDP?
The Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) was DRDO’s big missile effort.
It ran from the early 1980s to 2007.
It gave India five missile families: Agni, Prithvi, Akash, Nag and Trishul.
The plan was to build a full set of home-made missiles. India would not rely on one imported design for each job.
What is BrahMos, and why is it named so?
BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile. DRDO co-developed it with Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya.
It flies at almost three times the speed of sound. That makes it one of the fastest cruise missiles in service anywhere.
It flies in land, sea and air-launched versions. It is also one of India’s leading defence exports.
The name joins two rivers. The Brah is the Brahmaputra in India. The Mos is the Moskva in Russia.
Who designed the Tejas, and who builds it?
DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) led the design of the Tejas. It is India’s home-built light combat aircraft.
HAL then builds the aircraft.
This split is common. DRDO designs and an industry partner builds.
Why did INS Arihant matter so much?
INS Arihant is India’s first home-built nuclear-powered submarine. DRDO is credited with its development.
On 5 November 2018, Arihant finished its first deterrence patrol. That completed India’s nuclear triad.
A triad means India can launch a nuclear strike from land, air and sea.
Before this, only five other countries could fire nuclear weapons from a submarine. They were the USA, Russia, the UK, France and China. India became the sixth.
- The sub is about 6,000 tonnes.
- Reports say it carries 12 B-05 missiles. Their reported range is about 750 km.
Check 3
ADA designed the Tejas, and HAL builds it.
Check 4
Only four countries could fire nuclear weapons from submarines before India.
Who Were the Famous Faces of DRDO?
Why is Kalam called the Missile Man of India?
Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam grew up in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu. His family had modest means. As a boy, he sold newspapers.
He studied physics and then aeronautical engineering. He joined DRDO in 1958. In 1969 he moved to ISRO.
At ISRO he was Project Director of SLV-3. It put the Rohini satellite into orbit in 1980.
He returned to DRDO in 1982 to lead the IGMDP. That work built Agni, Prithvi, Akash, Trishul and Nag.
It earned him the nickname Missile Man of India. He became President in 2002.
What did Kalam do in the 1998 nuclear tests?
In 1998, Kalam was Secretary of DRDO. He was also the Prime Minister’s Chief Scientific Adviser.
He was a principal coordinator of the Pokhran-II tests. He worked alongside BARC director R. Chidambaram.
A DRDO chief later became India’s President. It shows how technical leadership can reach the highest office.
Who is Avinash Chander?
Avinash Chander was a chief architect of the Agni missile series.
He served as DRDO’s 11th Director General from 2013 to 2015.
How Has DRDO Changed Over Time?
Why is DRDO opening up to private industry?
DRDO now opens its test facilities to private firms. Earlier, they were for its own scientists.
This is a big shift. It moves DRDO from pure secrecy to helping India’s wider defence industry.
The same body worked in the secret Cold War years. Today it backs the Atmanirbhar Bharat push for self-reliant defence.
What was the 2-DG drug?
DRDO’s work goes beyond weapons. In the 2020 pandemic, its lab INMAS developed 2-DG, an anti-COVID drug.
INMAS stands for Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences. It worked with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories.
India’s drug regulator cleared 2-DG for emergency use in May 2021.
Trials showed it cut patients’ need for extra oxygen. DRDO labs reach into medicine as well as missiles.
Sources: Gulf News: DCGI approves 2-DG for emergency use; The Quint: Dr Reddy’s launches 2-DG.
Check 5
DRDO’s lab INMAS developed the anti-COVID drug 2-DG.
Check 6
Kalam returned to DRDO in 1982 to lead ISRO’s SLV-3 project.
Current Affairs: What Is New in 2025-2026?
Who leads DRDO now?
On 31 May 2026, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh took additional charge as DRDO Chairman.
He followed Dr Samir V. Kamat. Kamat had led DRDO since August 2022.
“Additional charge” means a temporary arrangement. It lasts until a regular chief is named.
Sources: Adda247: Rajesh Kumar Singh takes additional charge; The Daily Guardian: Defence Secretary given additional charge of DRDO.
What are AoN approvals?
AoN means Acceptance of Necessity. It is the first formal go-ahead to buy a defence system.
In 2025, the government gave 22 AoN approvals for DRDO-built systems. Their value was about ₹1.30 lakh crore.
Indian industry will build them.
DRDO also opened its test sites in 2025. It ran over 4,000 tests for private firms and Defence Public Sector Undertakings.
What is RAKSHA?
On 3 September 2026, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh released RAKSHA. It is a ten-year roadmap for global defence partnerships.
It stands on four pillars: Strategic Partnerships, Capacity Building, Indigenous Exports and Maritime Security.
The last pillar casts India as a Net Security Provider in the Indian Ocean Region.
Indigenous Exports matters most for DRDO. Make-in-India platforms are what such exports depend on.
Exam traps
Know the ministry. A DRDO-RRU MoU covers training and technology support for defence and internal security. That statement is true. But Rashtriya Raksha University sits under the Ministry of Home Affairs, not Education (CDS I 2026, Q119).
Know the machines. CDS-II 2018 (Q66) asked what Tejas is. It is the light combat aircraft, not a submarine, tank or carrier. CDS-II 2021 (Q107) asked for the Agni-P range band. It is 1,000-2,000 km.
Mission Shakti is not a launch. CDS-2 2024 (Q29) used satellite-launch options as bait. Mission Shakti was DRDO’s March 2019 anti-satellite (ASAT) missile test. It destroyed a live Indian satellite in orbit.
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