Former DRDO head opens Raghava Aerospace & Defence’s facility in Kokapet

India has transformed from an importer to an exporter of defence equipment on the back of the country’s defence manufacturing ecosystem coming of age, former Chairman of DRDO G.Satheesh Reddy said while inaugurating a facility of Raghava Aerospace & Defence (RADPL) in Kokapet, Hyderabad.

Development-cum-production partners, 40% of them from the private sector, across the country are manufacturing missiles, bombs and guns. The Centre has earmarked ₹1.39 lakh crore of the defence budget for indigenous manufacturing under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, a clear signal of the opportunity, he said.

Pointing out to India’s growing engagement as a defence exporter, he cited Armenia showcasing three Indian weapon systems at its Republic Day parade. He urged RADPL to focus not only on indigenous manufacturing, but also on exports, the company said in a release on Wednesday.

Research and development, electronics system design and manufacturing and composite structures are three verticals of focus for RADPL. Its Hyderabad facilities includes a Class 100,000 clean room for microwave assembly, RF and microwave test infrastructure up to 40 GHz, ESD-controlled assembly and integration labs and a full composite manufacturing line.

The company has grown through five acquisitions — DTS (electronic warfare and wideband RF), HQPPL (missile-borne RF systems and telemetry), Signalinx Techsystems (FPGA-based embedded systems and power electronics), Rainbow Advanced Composites (ablative and FRP missile components) and Aerospace Advanced Composites (large composite structures and thermal protection) — integrated into a single design, qualification and production platform.

It announced a joint venture with Peridot Advanced Materials for MALE-300 programme — a fully indigenous MALE-class ISR unmanned aircraft with a 300 kg modular payload bay, 30-hour endurance,30,000 feet in altitude and complete Indian ownership of design IP.

“Mr. Satish Reddy’s message is our roadmap,” said managing director Likhith Reddy Ponguleti.