Budget reinforces push towards Atmanirbhar Bharat: DRDO director
Times of India | 2 February 2026
Kolkata: The Union Budget has reinforced India's push towards Atmanirbhar defence and next-generation military technologies, with continued support for deep-tech research, semiconductor self-reliance and indigenous weapons systems, DRDO director general Binoy Kumar Das said on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters after receiving an award at a JIS Group ceremony, Das said changing geopolitical realities and evolving war scenarios had made import dependence untenable.
On a day when finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the launch of India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 in the Budget—aimed at producing equipment and materials, developing full-stack Indian IP and strengthening supply chains—Das pointed to breakthroughs in Gallium Nitride (GaN) semiconductor chips, calling them a "game changer in radar and electronic warfare systems, particularly for fighter aircraft".
"In fighter aircraft, space and power are premium. GAN enables higher performance with optimal power and space requirements," he said. Referring to repeated technology denial by foreign powers, Das said India's response had been to deepen self-reliance rather than depend on external suppliers. Recalling the early days of India's missile programme, he said even radar systems were once denied. "When we mastered systems, subsystems were choked. When subsystems were realised, basic components were denied," he said.
Das estimated that developing core semiconductor technologies would take another five to 10 years. "Once we have our own chips, nobody can choke our production," he said.
He said modern warfare was increasingly defined by technology dominance, with autonomy, range, lighter platforms and higher lethality shaping future systems.
"We, the scientists, are now thinking like soldiers on the battlefield—what equipment is needed and how it should perform," he said. Reacting to the defence allocation in the Budget, Das said: "The Union Budget reaffirmed the govt's unwavering support for indigenous defence innovation. We were asked to work on next-generation technologies that nobody else in the world has," adding that funding was never a constraint for DRDO.
Das said morale within DRDO was high, driven by confidence in India's ability to design, develop and deploy world-class defence technologies indigenously. "India today believes it can lead the world in defence technology," he said.