Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme

About Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme

• It is a flagship programme of the Ministry of Defence executed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under ‘Make in India’ initiative.
• The main objectives of the scheme are:
  • To provide Grant in Aid to Indian industries, including MSMEs and Start-ups, as well as academic and scientific institutions for the development of Defence and dual use technologies that are currently not available with the Indian defence Industry.
  • To engage with the private industries especially MSMEs and Start-ups to bring in the culture of Design & Development of Military Technology and support them with Grant in Aid.
  • To focus on Research, Design & Development of Niche technologies which are being developed for the first time in the country.
  • To create a bridge amongst the Armed Forces, research organizations, academia and qualifying/certifying agencies with private sector entities.
  • To support the futuristic technologies having a Proof of Concept and converting them into prototype.
• Funding Support:
  • The funding will be through provision of grants to the Industry.
  • The project cost of up to INR 10 Cr will be considered for funding, subject to a maximum of 90% of the total project cost.
  • Industry may work in collaboration with academia or research institutions.
  • The work involvement of academia cannot exceed 40% of the total project cost.
• Project Duration: Maximum development period will be two years.

Q1) What is the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)?

It is the R&D wing of the Ministry of Defence, Govt of India, with a vision to empower India with cutting-edge defence technologies and a mission to achieve self-reliance in critical defence technologies and systems.It is India's largest research organisation.

Source: TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT FUND