New Delhi, Apr 11 : Union Defence Minister AK Antony today said that the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) is in the process of introducing several innovations to streamline and make more effective the entire defence product development.

Speaking at the 32nd DRDO Directors' Conference, he said on the anvil are amendments to our procurement procedures, developing a healthy interface with the public and private industry through offsets and bringing about organizational improvements in the DRDO.

"We hope that all these will translate into an environment where all the stake-holders would be able to work together as members of a team towards the common objective of consolidating our defence preparedness," Antony said.

He complimented the scientists and the staff of the DRDO for the dedication they have shown over these years.

"Five decades ago, we did not have the capability to design our own passenger car while today, we have been able to move to the development of strategic systems like the Agni and tactical battlefield weapons like the Arjun MBT and the LCA as well as advanced missiles like the BrahMos," he added.

Antony said that the art of warfare is moving into new dimensions with the era of the foot soldier being rapidly replaced by technology and knowledge intensive machines, which call for an entirely new order of expertise.

"Since such technologies are crucial to the maintenance of a country's edge over the others, there is little prospect of critical technologies being shared with us," he said.

"It is this background, which makes the responsibility which devolves on to the DRDO so heavy," Antony said.

He said that there are several daunting tasks -- the need to increase investment in research and development so that we retain a cutting edge and improve synergy between the developer and the user.

ANI