CDS Inaugurates DRDO's CBRN Conclave To Bolster India's Threat Resilience

New Delhi: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) kicked off its Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Conclave at Manekshaw Centre today, running through February 27 under the theme ‘From policy to practice: Building CBRN resilient India’.

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan inaugurated the event, which unites experts and policymakers from the Armed Forces, CAPFs, NDRF, and other agencies to fortify India's defenses against CBRN threats.

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In his address, General Chauhan praised DRDO's strides toward self-reliance in CBRN defence technologies. Quoting Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, he asserted that India will not be deterred by nuclear blackmail, emphasizing that “CBRN needs to be considered as more of an environment than a threat, and we should brace ourselves to learn to live and operate in contaminated environments.”

He stressed readiness with indigenous, state-of-the-art CBRN defence equipment, including early warning systems, lightweight Individual Protective Equipment and gadgets, well-researched SOPs, and protocols for coordinated operations in synergy with military and civilian establishments.

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Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat reaffirmed DRDO’s commitment to a CBRN-resilient India via its specialised labs and centres dedicated to advanced technologies against such threats. He called on participants to seize the conclave for peer learning and advancing research to build resilience.

Guest of Honour DG Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin congratulated DRDO for the timely conclave, noting it would reflect on scientists' and engineers' outstanding work while incorporating users’ perspectives for futuristic technology plans.

DG (Soldier Support System) Dr UK Singh outlined the conclave's broad contours and engagement modalities, urging stakeholders to generate varied scenarios, highlight operational criticality, and craft a comprehensive guiding plan for speedy, relevant product and technology development against any CBRN threat.

The two-day event prioritizes national resilience by integrating stakeholder perspectives into training and technology infusion, sharpening security agencies' coordinated CBRN responses. It underscores DRDO’s pledge to a robust national network-centric command and control framework, leveraging state-of-the-art sensors and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning for CBRN security and defence.

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