"I agree with Winston Churchill who once said, "the empires of the future are going to be the empires of the mind". We are living in a world where human knowledge where scientific and technological knowledge is moving forward, is growing at an unprecedented pace. It goes without saying that a world is now on the horizon, where power and wealth of a nation will be greatly determined by its access to knowledge, by its ability to operate on the frontier of scientific and technological knowledge and viewed in this perspective the work that is being done by the DRDO is of great national significance. What I saw today this morning is an instance of the creativity, commitment and dedication and I congratulate all the distinguished scientists and technologists who have been awarded these prestigious prizes today. I sincerely hope that their example will inspire their other colleagues to give a similar account of proficiency in the years to come. I take this opportunity to also congratulate the spouses of all those who have earned these awards for having created peaceful atmosphere at home.

I am truly delighted therefore to be amongst you once again on this National Technology Day. Today, this pleasure is enhanced by the privilege you have given me to inaugurate this beautiful, new state-of-the-art building that will house DRDO's Headquarters. This high-quality building seamlessly integrates the stylistic grandeur of Lutyens' Delhi with the functionality of modern architecture. It should stand as a symbol of the harmonious blend that India today represents between our ancient civilizational ethos and our young, resurgent modern nationhood. So too should DRDO stand for a new paradigm of technological excellence, of skills and innovation, based on solid foundations of scientific capability. While congratulating DRDO on this new addition to the scenic central vista of Delhi, I hope this building brings you more success in the years to come in the service of our Motherland.

Today is also an annual opportunity to recognize excellence in the application of Science and Technology for the defence of our motherland. It is an opportunity to rededicate ourselves to the noble mission of creating a secure and stable external and internal environment to facilitate rapid and inclusive economic and social development. And last, but not the least, it is also an opportunity to commit ourselves to the pursuit of the highest standards of excellence, and to meet technological challenges through indigenous capabilities. Consequently, every one of us plays an equally important role in achieving our national objectives. Therefore, when we look back over the decades since Independence, we cannot but feel a sense of great pride in the contributions of our scientists and engineers of DRDO. Those of you who have received Awards today are therefore fully deserving of the congratulations and appreciation of a truly grateful nation.

DRDO has made its mark in fields as diverse as agriculture on hand, and aerospace. The nation is grateful to you for your efforts, not merely because of your achievements, but also in recognition of the circumstances under which these contributions were made. Our scientific establishment has long displayed the spirit of service, from the days of titans like Sir CV Raman, to post-independence visionaries such as Dr. Homi Bhabha and Dr DS Kothari, in whose memory this auditorium is named, to the scientists and leaders who have headed DRDO and the Departments of Atomic Energy and Space. Some of these visionaries are fortunately with us today. Indeed, What better tribute to your pioneering spirit than the fact that one of these patriotic visionaries is today the First Citizen of our country!

I am very happy to learn that in the Eleventh and Twelfth Plan periods, DRDO aims to create a new range of products and technologies. The fact that these include cutting-edge technologies in propulsion systems, camouflage and stealth technologies, sensors and micro-electromechanical systems, as well as precision-guided munitions, robotics and unmanned vehicle technologies illustrates your growing confidence in these vital fields. Such confidence is essential to meet the challenges posed both by the pace of evolution of military and dual use technologies and the rapidity with which transnational actors and unconventional forces are now emerging and mutating as threats to the international order.

As a nation with great stakes in the evolution of a stable and rule based international system, our security establishment needs therefore to constantly renew its threat assessments and prepare dynamic responses to potential dangers that lie before us. Thus, we must acquire the relevant knowledge and skills, develop innovative capabilities and raise our industrial capabilities to create new products and systems to meet these challenges on the horizon. I trust DRDO will motivate Indian industries to remain at the cutting edge of technology.

At the same time, I also appreciate that in today's competitive environment, it is important for us to think of new ways to stem the hemorrhage of scientific talent from our key technology departments. While it is true that pay scales and perquisites offered by competing avenues of employment will probably always be higher, I do recognize that Government must devise ways of making the working environment in cutting edge departments more attractive. For one, I have asked our senior most officials to work out measures to make careers in science and technologies more attractive from all perspectives. Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister is also deliberating on this subjects. Apart from fiscal and career incentives, we are willing to consider facilitating mobility between institutions, between such institutions and academia, as well as from research institutions to production and marketing sectors. However, this cannot be an unrestricted right; it must be exercised with responsibility. Similarly, we must appreciate that the basic workforce needed to pursue cutting edge technologies probably will be primarily Government-funded in our country. . We will also look at ways to outsource a percentage of tasks presently assigned to research facilities to industry, where feasible and appropriate. This will enable our institutions to focus more on development of technology, while applications, industrialization and related aspects are devolved to industry.

This brings me to my next point. It is a sine qua non for a nation's security that a superstructure comprising adequate military hardware, communications systems and trained men must be built upon a self-reliant industrial complex. This, in turn, is dependent on the capabilities that are created through absorption adaptation of technology, development of capacity and the creation of an appropriately enabling environment for creativity and innovation to flourish. For this, it is essential for DRDO to take forward its plans, currently at a nascent stage, to leverage partnerships with foreign partners and the domestic private sector in development of high technology. At the same time, wherever possible, Government would back DRDO and our defence PSUs by negotiating for offsets in defence contracts, and by supporting your efforts to export technologically stable and proven products, wherever feasible. All of these efforts would have beneficial results for DRDO, our armed forces, and even society as a whole, through technological spinoffs and applications.

In fact, this is one important and often neglected aspect of defence technologies. An efficient and agile industry should be well connected with technologists so as to bring commercial value to the laboratory, both directly and indirectly. It is obvious on the one hand, produces more appropriate and cost effective local solutions for our defence needs, indigenous design capabilities will also grow in maturity. On the other hand, once there is better appreciation of the needs of the civilian market, spin offs from defence technologies can be used for more civilian products. The profits generated from such goods can be recycled into better and more effective research, thereby linking industry, consumers and even our defence industry in a new, virtuous circle, which benefits all players. Such examples can be seen in everyday products, as diverse as sports shoes and microwave ovens, which are originally spinoffs from high-tech programmes in the defence sector. .

The other side of the coin is maximizing returns on public investment. Government has consistently supported the defence industry and our gallant armed forces through appropriate funding support over the years. The continued rise of defence expenditure, which has been maintained at a reasonable percentage of GDP, has been marked by a bipartisan support for these vital national sectors. However, it is also essential for all of us involved in the national security establishment to ensure that these scarce national resources are applied with due concern for maximum returns and optimum value. I say this advisedly, as I have been concerned by the problems of cost and time overruns in the public sector as a whole, which have plagued our defence industry also for sometime. I do recognize that in the hostile environment in which we have to operate, there is no alternative. Therefore the normal costs and return criterion cannot be applied to these innovative frontier areas of technology. But I do feel that there is a lot more attention to minimize avoidable cost and time overruns. It is true that each project that undergoes cost and time overruns is also siphoning vitally required resources away from other defence projects, and ultimately, from our nation's poor. So we have that obligation to look at this aspect a little more carefully.

I do appreciate that at times delays have resulted from situations beyond our control or from external factors. I also appreciate the fact that our own procedures - financial procedures - can at times be cumbersome and time consuming. Nevertheless, a candid analysis of our track record will indicate that either our initial time and financial estimates are significantly at variance with reality, or our ability to implement projects needs somewhat overhauling. Fortunately, my senior colleague the Defence Minister, Shri Pranab Mukherjee and his team have launched vigorous efforts to tighten up the system and to clear the backlog of cases pending from previous governments. Still, I will point out that it is incumbent on each and every one of us to strive to eliminate avoidable delays and unduly lengthy procedures. Let us therefore resolve to achieve our goals quickly, efficiently and economically.

In conclusion, let me say that I have every confidence that the DRDO family that it will continue to live up to our nation's expectations. I wish to assure all of you that you can count on the support of our Government in all your endeavours. I convey my very best wishes to the DRDO fraternity and in particular, to today's award winners. To the latter, I say "Well Done". But we cannot sit satisfied with the status quo, never to rest on your laurels, to continually strive for perfection — to reach that next higher goal in all your endeavours. So may you serve our country, and so may India be great. That's my prayer. !"