DRDO wants to make key defence chemical in India

Navin Fluorine International gained nearly 2% after announcing a partnership with DRDO to develop indigenous manufacturing technology for sodium borohydride. This is a specialty chemical used in several defence applications.

The deets: Sodium borohydride is also used in hydrogen generation systems that can power fuel cells for military equipment and unmanned platforms. 

India currently depends on imports for a significant portion of its requirement of high-purity sodium borohydride and the technology to manufacture it at scale is available with only a handful of companies globally. 

That especially creates a vulnerability during geopolitical tensions.

The bigger picture: last week, Kerala Cabinet approved another 90 acres of land for DRDO, taking the total allocation for the new BrahMos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram facility to 180 acres. 

At the same time, the Royal Air Force of Oman adopted DRDO’s Fighter Pilot Aptitude Test software. The software is designed to assess aspiring fighter pilots on parameters such as flying aptitude, cognitive skills, decision-making and overall suitability for operating advanced fighter aircraft.