On October 7, 2025, DRDO, along with the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) and the Tri-Services, released the Indian Radio Software Architecture (IRSA) standard 1.0 during a national workshop on October 6, 2025, at DRDO Bhawan, New Delhi.
IRSA is a software specification for Software Defined Radios (SDR) with standardised interfaces, APIs, execution environments, and waveform portability mechanisms to ensure waveform portability, SDR Interoperability, Certification and Conformance.
The launch represents a step towards self-reliance in defence communication technologies and will lay the foundation for integrating future technologies. The specification is designed to evolve with operational requirements.
The workshop also provided a platform for industry, academia and the tri-services to discuss collaboration opportunities, pilot projects and adoption pathways.
Attendees included representatives from the Indian Armed Forces, Department of Defence Production (DDP), Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), industry, academia and research institutions.
Dr Samir V Kamat, Secretary DD R&D and Chairman DRDO, was the Chief Guest. Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff, and Dr Rajat Moona, Director IIT Gandhinagar, were the Guests of Honour. Dr. BK Das, DG (ECS) guided the National workshop.
The IRSA initiative originated in 2021, was worked on in 2022, and IRSA Version 1.0 was approved by the High-Level Advisory Committee (HLAC) in 2025.
The goal is to position IRSA not just as a national standard but as a global benchmark, enabling India to shape the future of SDR technology and export IRSA-compliant solutions. Release ID: 2175879.
Key Entities Referenced
Indian Radio Software Architecture (IRSA): India's first national specification defining a standardized software architecture for Software Defined Radios (SDR), aiming for interoperability in military communication.
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO): The organization responsible for developing IRSA.
Integrated Defence Staff (IDS): Collaborated with DRDO and the Tri-Services to develop IRSA.
Ministry of Defence: The ministry under which DRDO functions, and which released IRSA.
New Delhi: Location of the DRDO Bhawan where the IRSA workshop was held.
Ministry of Defence
DRDO releases the Indian Radio Software
Architecture standard 1.0 to enable interoperability in
Military Communication
Posted On: 07 OCT 2025 5:18PM by PIB Delhi
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in collaboration with the Integrated Defence Staff
(IDS) and the Tri-Services, formally released Indian Radio Software Architecture (IRSA) standard 1.0 to
enable interoperability in Military Communication, during the National workshop organised on Oct 06, 2025
at DRDO Bhawan, New Delhi. IRSA is a comprehensive software specification for Software Defined Radios
(SDR), defining standardized interfaces, APIs, execution environments, and waveform portability
mechanisms. IRSA is designed to ensure waveform portability, SDR Interoperability, Certification and
Conformance.
The launch of IRSA represents a defining step in India’s journey toward self-reliance in defence
communication technologies, embodying the vision of building indigenous, inter-operable, and future-ready
SDR solutions — designed in India, for India and ready for the world. The specification is designed to evolve
with operational requirements. It also lays the foundation for integrating future technologies.
The workshop covered the journey of IRSA, its technical overview, ecosystem roles and future directions. It
also provided a platform for industry, academia and the tri-services to discuss collaboration opportunities,
pilot projects and adoption pathways.
The event brought together representatives from the Indian Armed Forces, Department of Defence
Production (DDP), Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), industry, academia and research
institutions, highlighting a comprehensive and collaborative approach towards developing indigenous
communication technologies. Dr Samir V Kamat, Secretary DD R&D and Chairman DRDO was the Chief
Guest of the event. Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff, and Dr Rajat Moona,
Director IIT Gandhinagar were the Guests of Honour. The National workshop was organised under the
guidance of Dr. BK Das, DG (ECS).
About IRSA:
The IRSA initiative traces its origin to 2021, when the critical role of SDRs in modern military
communication was highlighted and the need for a national software standard was felt. A core technical team
led by DRDO initiated work in 2022, engaging with the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) and the Services to
capture operational and user requirements. After extensive reviews and consultations with stakeholders, IRSA
Version 1.0 was approved by the High-Level Advisory Committee (HLAC) in 2025, becoming India’s first
national specification defining a standardised software architecture for Software Defined Radios. The vision is
to position IRSA not just as a national standard, but as a global benchmark — enabling India to shape the
future of SDR technology and export IRSA-compliant solutions to friendly nations.***
VK/SR/PC
(Release ID: 2175879)