Cyber defence to play key role in national security: DRDO chief | Mumbai News

Mumbai: “India is among the highest attacked countries in the world when it comes to cyber (space)… Both cyber defence and cyber deterrence are going to play a key role in the country’s security. This is a domain where young people can make a significant contribution,” said Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chairman Samir V Kamat in Mumbai on Tuesday. Kamat was speaking on ‘Defence R&D — Challenges and Opportunities’ at IIT Bombay’s Techfest, Asia’s largest science and technology festival.
During his address, Kamat said cyber warfare is a continuous war. It is not a declared war and it happens every day..
Speaking about cyber defence in the context of next-generation complex systems and capabilities, he said cyber defence also includes cyber deterrence, and one needs to have deterrence capabilities like they have in the strategic nuclear domain. He said deterrence capabilities are essential to ensure that people don’t attack.
Kamat said the future battlefield is going to be network-centric, and all platforms, all soldiers have to get information in real time. The sensor and the shooter can be at different locations, but the information has to come in real time, which is why satellite communication and software-defined radios will play a key role in the future, he added.
Kamat also spoke about a recent initiative launched on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of starting laboratories where everyone, including the director, is below the age of 35 years. “These laboratories working in futuristic areas are working on artificial intelligence, asymmetric technologies, cognitive sensor technologies, smart materials, among other things. We hope that these young scientist labs will be like startups within the DRDO ecosystem and will branch out,” he said. He further said DRDO is now offering several opportunities for academia engagement as well as industry engagement, and the funding for such initiatives has increased too.
Kamat also inaugurated the institute’s R&D flagship event TechConnect 2024, where researchers from the institute showcased their work that addresses societal needs, fulfils industry requirements, and contributes significantly to fundamental research. Right from autonomous underwater vehicles to lighter-than-air systems, from a drone ecosystem hub which focused on research and development in unmanned aerial systems, to flexible robotic manipulators, all were showcased at TechConnect. The theme of the three-day festival, which started Tuesday, is based on artificial intelligence and sustainability.
The highlight of the festival was an advanced humanoid robot for dynamic tasks and human interaction called the G1 by Unitree. G1 has a flexibility beyond normal humans, can imitate and reinforce the learning drive, and do repetitive tasks. It can not only be used for research but can also be procured for security purposes.
Jeet Adani, director of Adani Airport Holdings Ltd, who was one of the guest speakers at the festival, spoke extensively about technology. “India cannot stay out of the global technological race and should build capabilities that will keep it at the top while remaining vigilant against its misuse,” he said.
Mumbai: “India is among the highest attacked countries in the world when it comes to cyber (space)… Both cyber defence and cyber deterrence are going to play a key role in the country’s security. This is a domain where young people can make a significant contribution,” said Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chairman Samir V Kamat in Mumbai on Tuesday. Kamat was speaking on ‘Defence R&D — Challenges and Opportunities’ at IIT Bombay’s Techfest, Asia’s largest science and technology festival.
During his address, Kamat said cyber warfare is a continuous war. It is not a declared war and it happens every day..
Speaking about cyber defence in the context of next-generation complex systems and capabilities, he said cyber defence also includes cyber deterrence, and one needs to have deterrence capabilities like they have in the strategic nuclear domain. He said deterrence capabilities are essential to ensure that people don’t attack.
Kamat said the future battlefield is going to be network-centric, and all platforms, all soldiers have to get information in real time. The sensor and the shooter can be at different locations, but the information has to come in real time, which is why satellite communication and software-defined radios will play a key role in the future, he added.
Kamat also spoke about a recent initiative launched on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of starting laboratories where everyone, including the director, is below the age of 35 years. “These laboratories working in futuristic areas are working on artificial intelligence, asymmetric technologies, cognitive sensor technologies, smart materials, among other things. We hope that these young scientist labs will be like startups within the DRDO ecosystem and will branch out,” he said. He further said DRDO is now offering several opportunities for academia engagement as well as industry engagement, and the funding for such initiatives has increased too.
Kamat also inaugurated the institute’s R&D flagship event TechConnect 2024, where researchers from the institute showcased their work that addresses societal needs, fulfils industry requirements, and contributes significantly to fundamental research. Right from autonomous underwater vehicles to lighter-than-air systems, from a drone ecosystem hub which focused on research and development in unmanned aerial systems, to flexible robotic manipulators, all were showcased at TechConnect. The theme of the three-day festival, which started Tuesday, is based on artificial intelligence and sustainability.
The highlight of the festival was an advanced humanoid robot for dynamic tasks and human interaction called the G1 by Unitree. G1 has a flexibility beyond normal humans, can imitate and reinforce the learning drive, and do repetitive tasks. It can not only be used for research but can also be procured for security purposes.
Jeet Adani, director of Adani Airport Holdings Ltd, who was one of the guest speakers at the festival, spoke extensively about technology. “India cannot stay out of the global technological race and should build capabilities that will keep it at the top while remaining vigilant against its misuse,” he said.