DRDO Chief Samir V Kamat granted one-year extension in tenure

The Indian government has extended the tenure of Samir V Kamat, the chief of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), for one more year. This decision was made by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Kamat, who took on the role on August 26, 2022, will now continue until May 31, 2025.

This extension follows a proposal from the defence ministry. It comes at a time when the government is working to implement recommendations from a nine-member panel, led by former principal scientific advisor K VijayRaghavan, aimed at restructuring DRDO. These recommendations, submitted in January 2024, are intended to make DRDO more efficient and effective.

Focus on improving DRDO

Kamat is leading an internal committee to put the panel’s suggestions into action. The goal is to address issues such as delays, cost overruns, and incomplete projects that have plagued DRDO's high-priority military initiatives. The national auditor’s 2022 report highlighted these problems, noting that some projects were declared successful despite not meeting key objectives. Often, these projects were restarted under new names to achieve the missed goals.

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The VijayRaghavan panel’s recommendations include redefining the role of DRDO, increasing participation from academia, small businesses, and startups, and attracting top talent. They also suggest leveraging the expertise of non-resident Indians and foreign consultants, fostering international collaborations for advanced technologies, and modernizing administrative systems to speed up project implementation.

Kamat's background and contributions

Samir V Kamat has an impressive background in materials science and engineering. He completed his B. Tech in metallurgical engineering from IIT Kharagpur in 1985 and earned his PhD from Ohio State University in 1988. He joined DRDO in 1989 and has led several important materials programs.

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His work includes developing high-strength steel for naval ships, high-temperature titanium alloys, and nickel-based superalloys for aircraft engines. He has also contributed to creating tungsten alloys for kinetic energy weapons, fused silica radomes for missiles, armor solutions for personnel and vehicles, and stealth materials for aircraft and ships.