The main purpose of DevOps in software development is to bridge the gap between development and operations teams, fostering collaboration to improve the delivery of applications. DevOps emphasizes automation, continuous integration, and continuous delivery (CI/CD), enabling teams to release code more frequently and with higher quality. By integrating practices such as infrastructure as code and monitoring, DevOps supports rapid feedback loops, allowing for quick adjustments based on user needs and system performance. Ultimately, DevOps aims to enhance operational efficiency, reduce time to market, and increase overall software reliability.