DRDO, IDS and Tri-Services launch IRSA 1.0 to standardize Military Communication

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.

The launch took place during the national workshop held at DRDO Bhawan, here on Tuesday.

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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.

A statement from the Ministry of Defence stated that 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 was attended by representatives of the Indian Armed Forces, Department of Defence Production (DDP), Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), industry, academia and research institutions.

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.