Cyber defence, deterrence key for India’s security: DRDO chief at IIT-Bombay Techfest
At IIT Bombay’s Techfest, the DRDO chairman stresses the need for young talent in advancing cyber capabilities amid rising threats.
3 min read
Featuring at the IIT Bombay's Techfest, Bidyut Unitree Robot is a humanoid robot which can do all physical movements like human and can be used for repititive tasks.Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Chairman Dr Samir V Kamat Tuesday said that as India ranks among the countries most vulnerable to cyberattacks, the organisation is working on cyber defence initiatives.
Dr Kamat was speaking at Techfest, the annual science and technology festival of the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, which started Tuesday.
Dr Kamat said, “India is among the highest attacked countries in the world when it comes to cyberspace. And especially in the military domain, it is going to be a decisive edge.”
The DRDO chief elaborated on the importance of cyber defence, which includes cyber deterrence.
“You have to have the capabilities like you have in our strategic nuclear domain. You have to have deterrence capabilities so that people don’t attack. So both cyber defence and cyber deterrence are going to play a key role. This is especially where young people can contribute significantly,” he said.
Emphasising the need for a fresh approach to a wide range of technologies, Dr Kamat said the DRDO has established new units in areas such as artificial intelligence, asymmetric technology, smart materials, quantum technology and cognitive sensor technology, each headed by young scientists under the age of 35.
Dr Kamat also said India has a very low rate of researchers per million population compared to countries such as Singapore, Sweden, Denmark and Israel, insisting that research work needs to be enhanced and encouraged in the country.
To promote more research, particularly in defence, the DRDO plans to fund up to Rs 50 crore under industry collaborations, providing startups and micro, small and medium enterprises with opportunities to access this funding.
As IIT Bombay’s three-day Techfest began, an impressive line-up of speakers is scheduled to speak at the festival. In addition to lecture series, exhibitions of international and in-house innovations have become crowd pullers, as in previous years.
Among other notable speakers on the first day of the Techfest lecture-series was Jeet Adani, son of Director of Adani Airport Holdings Ltd. and son of Adani Group’s chairman Gautam Adani.
Emphasising the role of technology in navigating the evolving landscape, Adani said, “I see technology as the way forward, the only way forward.” He stressed on the importance of balancing technology’s benefits with its risks, urging India to embrace AI and digital transformation to drive national growth.
In his address, Adani appreciated the volume of contribution of IIT Bombay into the sector of technology with innovations and by giving the world intelligent minds who brought changes across industries with technology.
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