IndiaPosted at: Nov 3 2026 7:45PM


Indigenous defence production key to military preparedness in 21st century: Rajnath Singh

New Delhi, Nov 3 (UNI) Defence preparedness in the 21st century is intrinsically linked to technological and industrial capabilities, with indigenous production and the ability to independently sustain critical military equipment emerging as key requirements, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday.
Addressing the third edition of the Delhi Defence Dialogue 2026 at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), Singh said Aatmanirbharta must be viewed as a quest for technological sovereignty, ensuring that India's critical defence requirements are not held hostage to external dependencies.
“True self-reliance is achieved by possessing the knowledge to design a defence platform, the technology to manufacture it, intellectual property to improve it and the capability to sustain it throughout its lifecycle,” he said.
Speaking on the theme ‘Defence Reforms, Aatmanirbharta, Collaborations and Exports’, the minister described the four elements as interconnected pillars of India's ambition to become a developed nation by 2047.
He said reforms must create an enabling institutional environment, self-reliance strengthen indigenous technological capabilities, collaborations facilitate access to advanced technologies and co-development, while exports provide the scale and competitiveness necessary for a sustainable defence industrial ecosystem.
“Defence reforms, Aatmanirbharta, collaborations and exports are interconnected pillars of Viksit Bharat@2047,” Singh said, emphasising that the four must progress together to strengthen India's strategic autonomy and global competitiveness.
Pointing to the changing character of warfare, he said recent conflicts had demonstrated that battlefields were no longer confined to land, sea and air but had expanded into space, cyberspace and the digital domain.
The distinction between conventional and unconventional warfare was increasingly blurring, while relatively inexpensive drones and autonomous systems were challenging sophisticated and costly military platforms.
The ability to innovate rapidly, manufacture at scale and replenish military capabilities had become as important as possessing advanced weapon systems, he observed.
Highlighting the government's efforts to strengthen the domestic defence industrial base, Singh referred to the establishment of defence industrial corridors and the corporatisation of the erstwhile Ordnance Factory Board into seven Defence Public Sector Undertakings.
He said greater private sector participation in programmes such as the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), propulsion systems, Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), artillery ammunition and shipbuilding would accelerate indigenous development.
“These initiatives are creating opportunities for wider participation by private industry, MSMEs, start-ups and academia,” he said.
Referring to the outcomes of defence reforms, Singh said India's defence production had reached a record of approximately Rs 1.78 lakh crore in 2025-26, while defence exports rose to Rs 38,424 crore. Indian defence products were now reaching more than 80 countries, reflecting the growing capabilities of domestic manufacturers.
He reiterated the government's targets of achieving Rs 3 lakh crore in defence production and Rs 50,000 crore in defence exports by 2029.
Describing exports as an important indicator of the maturity of India's defence industrial ecosystem, he called for expanding them beyond equipment supplies to include maintenance, repair, training, logistics and technology cooperation.
On research and development, the minister stressed the need to balance operational requirements with the freedom to pursue unconventional ideas and technological innovation.
While the armed forces must remain important stakeholders in the research process, their immediate operational requirements should not restrict the scope of scientific exploration, he said.
“R&D must have the freedom to question established assumptions, pursue unconventional ideas and discover technologies whose applications may not be immediately apparent,” Singh said.
He called for an ecosystem that encourages experimentation and ensures successful innovations move beyond laboratories and prototypes towards production and operational induction.
On international partnerships, Singh asserted that self-reliance did not mean India's retreat from the global defence ecosystem.
“Self-reliance is not a retreat from the world; it positions India better for global collaborations,” he said, advocating partnerships based on co-development, co-production and shared innovation rather than conventional procurement arrangements.
He said such partnerships should ensure meaningful Indian participation in design and development, access to critical technologies, appropriate sharing of intellectual property and opportunities for Indian companies in global supply chains.
Concluding his address, Singh called upon the armed forces, scientists, industry, academia and international partners to work collectively towards making India a creator of defence technologies rather than merely a procurer.
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