Prez Pranab asks DRDO to boost India’s indigenous defence capabilities

President Pranab Mukherjee congratulated the DRDO on Friday on the successful test-firings of a medium-range missile and said it should make greater efforts to boost India’s indigenous defence capabilities.

President Pranab Mukherjee congratulated the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Friday on the successful test-firings of a medium-range missile and said it should make greater efforts to boost India’s indigenous defence capabilities.

President Pranab Mukherjee addresses the officer trainees of Indian Audit & Accounts Service (2015 batch) at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. (PTI)

Mukherjee said the nation was proud of the achievement made by the DRDO.

“I extend hearty congratulations to all those associated with the successful test-firing of the Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM), developed jointly with Israel.

“The nation is proud of the achievement made by DRDO and looks upon DRDO to make even greater efforts to boost India’s indigenous defence capabilities in technologically challenging areas,” the President said in a message to director general of the institution S Christopher.

Mukherjee said the nation is grateful to all the members -- scientists, engineers and all others involved in this mission -- for their hard work and proud of their achievement.

India on Thursday carried out two successful test-firings of the new missile, with a strike range up to 70km, from a defence base off Odisha coast. It was again test-fired on Friday.