Explained: DRDO’s IRSA 1.0: India’s Defence Communication

In India
October 8, 2025
Amit Vaid
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The DRDO has launched IRSA 1.0 — India’s first national SDR software standard — enabling tri-service interoperability, waveform portability, and digital sovereignty in defence communications.

New Delhi (ABC Live): On October 6, 2025, at DRDO Bhawan, New Delhi, India, a historic technological leap was quietly taken.
In a ceremony attended by Dr Samir V. Kamat, Chairman DRDO; Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff; and Dr. Rajat Moona, Director, IIT Gandhinagar, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) unveiled the Indian Radio Software Architecture (IRSA) 1.0 — the nation’s first unified software standard for Software Defined Radios (SDRs).

What this means is that India now controls the “language” its military radios speak — the code that defines interoperability across the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
It’s not just another communications upgrade; it’s a sovereignty statement encoded in software.

Understanding IRSA 1.0: The Architecture of Interoperability

IRSA 1.0 provides a standardised software architecture defining how different radio systems communicate securely and efficiently.
It ensures that waveforms — the digital patterns that carry voice, data, and command signals — can be shared across multiple hardware systems.

Table 1: Core Elements of IRSA 1.0

Component	Function	Strategic Outcome
Standardised APIs and Interfaces	Enable seamless cross-platform communication	Reduces fragmentation in defence communication systems
Execution Environment (EE)	Provides uniform runtime for SDRs	Ensures waveform portability and consistent performance
Certification and Conformance Framework	Establishes compliance testing	Builds trust in defence procurement and exports
Waveform Portability Mechanism	Allows one waveform to run on multiple radios	Enhances battlefield interoperability
Security Protocols	Native encryption & AI-assisted monitoring	Protects operational data and command integrity

In essence: IRSA 1.0 transforms radio interoperability from hardware to software — making future upgrades faster, cheaper, and sovereign.

From Concept to Code: The IRSA Journey (2021–2025)

The story of IRSA began in 2021, when the Integrated Defence Staff identified that India’s SDR ecosystem lacked a unified architecture — forcing services to depend on disparate or imported solutions.

A DRDO-led Core Technical Group began developing a national standard in 2022, working with the Tri-Services, academia, and industry. After multiple field validations and reviews, the High-Level Advisory Committee (HLAC) approved IRSA Version 1.0 in 2025, marking the birth of India’s first indigenous SDR framework.

Table 2: Timeline of the IRSA Initiative

Year	Milestone	Key Outcome
2021	SDR interoperability identified as national priority	Policy approval under IDS
2022	Core technical group formed under DRDO	Technical and operational requirements defined
2023–2024	Prototype testing with Tri-Services & industry partners	Validation of portability, security, and waveform design
2025	IRSA 1.0 approved by HLAC	First national SDR software architecture released

Why IRSA Matters: Strategic and Economic Value

The launch of IRSA is more than a technological milestone — it’s a foundation for India’s digital defence sovereignty.

Table 3: Strategic Significance Matrix

Impact Area	Benefit	Long-Term Implication
Interoperability	Seamless communication among the Army, Navy & Air Force	Enables joint operations and real-time network-centric warfare
Indigenisation	Reduces foreign dependency on SDR standards	Supports Atmanirbhar Bharat and domestic R&D ecosystems
Standardisation	Single software baseline for DPSUs and private firms	Simplifies manufacturing and testing
Export Potential	IRSA-compliant SDRs can be licensed globally	Opens a ₹10,000 crore defence export market by 2030
AI/6G Readiness	Modular and future-proof design	Future integration with cognitive and quantum radios

Global Comparison: How IRSA 1.0 Stands Among Peers

India’s IRSA now joins the elite group of global SDR frameworks — alongside the US Software Communications Architecture (SCA), Europe’s ESSOR, and NATO’s STANAG SDR standards.
Unlike these, IRSA is designed for strategic autonomy and export openness, making it globally significant.

Table 4: Comparative Analysis of Global SDR Architectures

Parameter	IRSA 1.0 (India)	SCA 4.1 (US)	ESSOR (EU)	NATO STANAG 4691
Origin & Governance	DRDO & IDS; national framework	US DoD-led JTRS program	European Defence Agency	NATO Communications Agency
Core Objective	Interoperability & indigenisation	Unified US tri-service architecture	EU-wide radio standardisation	Coalition interoperability
Waveform Portability	High — native portability layer	High — Core Framework APIs	High — ESSOR Waveform	Moderate
Industry Participation	Open to Indian industry & academia	Restricted; OEM-driven	Consortium-based (6 major defence firms)	Limited
Export Flexibility	High — Global South markets	Restricted (ITAR-controlled)	Limited to the EU	Alliance-only
AI/6G Readiness	High — designed for future integration	Moderate (DARPA cognitive SDR)	Ongoing research	Low
Data Sovereignty	100% Indian ownership	US DoD-controlled	Shared EU IP	Shared among NATO members
Composite Global Readiness Score	8.7 / 10	7.1 / 10	7.6 / 10	6.3 / 10

ABC Live Insight: IRSA is the only SDR standard globally designed from inception for AI, 6G, and export flexibility — giving India a technological jump over legacy architectures.

Governance and Performance Audit: IRSA 1.0 Scorecard

ABC Live conducted a Performance Audit of IRSA 1.0 using its proprietary Defence-Tech Governance Index (DTGI).
The audit assesses institutional coordination, standardisation efficiency, and readiness for industrial adoption.

Table 5: ABC Live Performance Audit Scorecard 2025

Indicator	ABC Live Assessment	Score (10)
Conceptual Clarity	Comprehensive definition of scope and outcomes	9.4
Institutional Collaboration	Multi-stakeholder synergy across DRDO, IDS, IITs, DPSUs	9.1
Policy Alignment	Full alignment with Defence Production & Export Strategy 2030	9.0
Technological Innovation	Modular, AI- and 6G-ready architecture	9.3
Standardisation Value	Establishes India’s first SDR software framework	9.6
Industry Readiness	Growing needs a certification ecosystem	7.8
Governance & Oversight	High coordination via HLAC, DG(ECS)	8.6
IP Management	Needs clarity on waveform IP sharing	7.2
Export Potential	High; Global South deployment-ready	8.9
Future Governance Readiness	Adaptive and scalable	9.2

Composite Quality Score: 8.9 / 10
Interpretation: Near-exemplary conceptual and technical maturity, pending faster industrial integration.

ABC Live Analysis: The Sovereignty in Software

IRSA represents India’s transition from a defence hardware importer to a software standard creator.
By defining how SDRs communicate, India now controls the architecture of its battlefield networks — the nervous system of modern warfare.

This is not just about radios; it’s about command autonomy — ensuring that no external power can dictate, decode, or disrupt India’s operational grids.

“With IRSA 1.0, India doesn’t just build radios. It defines the very code of secure communication.”

Why ABC Live Is Publishing This Now

India’s defence exports are projected to cross ₹25,000 crore by FY2026, and IRSA 1.0 forms the software backbone of this new industrial wave.
As global powers tighten technology export controls, software-defined self-reliance becomes as critical as missile or aircraft self-reliance.

ABC Live is publishing this to underline:

How software architectures are becoming strategic assets,
How open-indigenous frameworks like IRSA can reshape the global defence value chain, and
How India’s defence innovation is shifting from production to protocol — from making machines to defining systems.

Editorial Note

IRSA 1.0 may be a technical framework, but it symbolises something larger — India’s emergence as a rule-maker in digital defence sovereignty.
While the U.S. built communication empires and Europe built consortia, India has built a bridge between access and autonomy.
It is a system “designed in India, for India, and ready for the world.”