Bhubaneswar: The Licensing Agreement for Transfer of Technology (LATOT) certificate for the defence-grade DMR 249A steel has been formally handed over by the Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL) under Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to SAIL Rourkela Steel Plant.

In a function organized in the Tamhankar Auditorium, Hyderabad on November 15, R S Sharma, GM In-Charge, Special Plate Plant (SPP) and D S Dey, DGM (SPP) received the prestigious document on behalf of RSP.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Samir V Kamat, Secretary DDR&D and Chairman, DRDO, lauded DMRL for developing these niche defence technologies indigenously. He emphasised that transferring these critical technologies to capable industry partners such as SAIL will strengthen the ecosystem for the regular and reliable supply of advanced materials to the Indian Armed Forces.

It is noteworthy that, 249A is a specialized, high-strength, tough steel, meticulously developed by DRDO for the country’s naval applications, forming the very muscle of the naval ships. It is a key component in building indigenous warships and submarines that guard our country.

The journey from a laboratory sample at DMRL to a 40mm thick, perfectly rolled and heat-treated plate is immense. It required the scientific precision of DMRL and the manufacturing prowess of SAIL, from the slabs cast at Bhilai Steel Plant to the final plates finished at Rourkela Steel Plant. This is the "Lab-to-Industry" model in its finest form. It is the result of the tireless efforts of countless scientists, engineers, technicians, and workers at both DMRL and SAIL who worked on the development, testing, rolling, and quality assurance of this exceptional product. 

The LATOT certificate handing over to SAIL, RSP is also a powerful symbol of India's accelerating journey towards making of an Atmanirbhar Bharat, in the critical sector of defence. It represents the successful, synergistic partnership between India’s premier research and development agency, DRDO and SAIL.