As part of the National Technology Day celebrations, IIT Bhubaneswar organised a distinguished lecture on “Futuristic Defence Technologies: India towards becoming a World Leader”.
The event featured Dr. Binay Kumar Das, Director General, Electronics and Communication Systems, DRDO, Ministry of Defence, who provided an insightful exploration into India’s preparedness for the future of warfare.
Dr. Das emphasised how technological advancements often originate from military applications before transitioning to civilian use. The talk covered emerging defence technologies, including AI-driven situational awareness, autonomous systems, robotic soldiers, hypersonic weapons, quantum sensing, and digital battlefields. He also outlined India’s self-reliance initiatives, such as DIA-CoE, startup engagement, and DRDO’s Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme, which aims to position India as a leader in global defence innovation.
Prof. Shreepad Karmalkar, Director of IIT Bhubaneswar, highlighted India’s strides in software and systems technologies but stressed the need to strengthen component-level technologies, particularly in materials science, to emerge as a global technology leader. Prof. Damodar Acharya, Former Director of IIT Kharagpur and Chairman of INAE Bhubaneswar Chapter, reflected on India’s growing scientific presence and the role of expert lectures in advancing technological discourse.
Other distinguished speakers included Prof. Subhransu Ranjan Samantaray (Head of School of Electrical & Computer Sciences), Prof. Radhakanta Padhi (Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore), and Dr. Vijayakrishna Kari (Professor-in-Charge, Seminar), who coordinated the event. The lecture underscored India’s commitment to defence innovation and scientific excellence.
