The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation in research, education, training, and technology support in the fields of defence and internal security.
The MoU was signed on December 22, 2025, at South Block, New Delhi, in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The agreement was formalised by Dr Chandrika Kaushik, Distinguished Scientist and Director General (Production Coordination & Services Interaction), DRDO, and Prof. (Dr) Bimal N. Patel, Vice-Chancellor of RRU. Dr Samir V. Kamat, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman, DRDO, was also present on the occasion.
Objective and Strategic Significance
The partnership aims to strengthen India’s self-reliance in defence and internal security technologies in line with the national vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and the holistic, whole-of-nation approach adopted during Amrit Kaal. The MoU reflects a shared commitment to integrating technology, knowledge, and operational insights to enhance national security preparedness and reinforce India’s strategic autonomy in internal security.
Institutional Strengths
RRU, under the Ministry of Home Affairs, is an institution of national importance and a University Grants Commission (UGC)-designated nodal centre for defence studies. It brings strong academic, training, and policy expertise in internal security.
DRDO, India’s premier defence R&D organisation, contributes cutting-edge indigenous technologies and system-level expertise to meet the operational requirements of the Armed Forces and security agencies.
Areas of Collaboration
Under the MoU, DRDO and RRU will collaborate on:
Joint research projects
PhD and fellowship programmes
Specialised training and capacity-building programmes for security forces
The collaboration will also include studies on emerging operational challenges, technology gap analysis, forecasting of future requirements, and research on the life-cycle management of DRDO-developed systems deployed with Central Armed Police Forces and other agencies under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The agreement marks a significant step toward deeper synergy between defence research and academic institutions to support India’s long-term security and technological self-reliance.
