Parliamentary committee seeks more funds for DRDO

New Delhi: The parliamentary standing committee on defence has recommended more funds for Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) during the mid-year review in revised estimates of the current fiscal 2023-24.

The committee's recommendation has come after it reviewed the allotment of funds to the department in the last five years.

The parliamentary body found a drop in DRDO expenditure as a percentage of total GDP over the past few years in respect of the budgetary grants. It noticed that the percentage share of the defence R&D budget to total GDP has come down to 0.078 per cent in 2021-22 from 0.088 per cent in 2017-18.

It said, "As per the ministry, the exclusive research and development budget is Rs 5,000 crore only, out of this 25 per cent that is around Rs 1,300 crore is earmarked for the private sector. Hence it can be very well understood that the amount actually left for DRDO projects is under constraints."

The committee also observed that data reveals that there has always been a decrease in the Budget estimate proposed and Budget estimate approved or allocated for defence R&D. 

"In the year 2021-22, the projected amount was Rs 23,460 and allocated amount was Rs 20,457 crore which was Rs 3,002 less than the projection. Likewise, in the year 2022-23, the projected amount was Rs 22,990 crore and the allocated amount stood at Rs 21,330 crore which was Rs 1659 crore less than the projection," the panel highlighted.

However, the committee noted that during the financial year 2023-24, the projected amount was Rs 23,790 crore and the allocated amount is Rs 23,263.89 crore, and for the first time, the difference is marginal and stands at Rs 526 crore. 

The panel has recommended that the defence ministry should undertake all out efforts in future and ensure that no cut is made in the budget while allocating the amount.

(Defence Watch– India's Defence Business News centre that places the spotlight on Defence Manufacturing, Defence Technology, Strategy and Military affairs is on Twitter. Follow us here and stay updated.)