• Affordable, cutting‑edge technologies, robust R&D and flexible supply chain essential for a developed India: Mr Rajnath Singh
  • Supply‑chain management is a strategic imperative: Defense Minister urges identification of critical technologies, industries and resources and a timely roadmap
  • Strong collaboration between defence industry and academic institutions, greater incentives for research and innovation in educational institutions and increased opportunities for youth are vital for a robust culture of research and innovation
  • Need to develop technologies for both civilian and military use and inter‑service use to promote jointness

Defense Minister Mr Rajnath Singh calls for ‘Self‑Reliance 2.0’ in the defence sector, emphasizing advanced technology development, strengthening R&D and building a robust supply chain to reduce import dependence and achieve technological superiority, thereby helping realise ‘Developed India @ 2047’

Mr Rajnath Singh highlights the country’s significant progress towards self‑reliance in the defence sector over the past decade, noting that the achievements so far lay a strong foundation for the next phase, which should focus on advanced technology development and tackling previously difficult targets, and stresses the need for indigenous manufacturing of affordable, operationally superior and globally competitive products

Defense Minister says supply‑chain management is not just a technical issue but a strategic topic directly linked to national security, calling for a dynamic framework with clear timelines for self‑reliance in each item, identification of technologies and innovating industries, and detailing required resources, while prioritising critical areas for indigenisation

Mr Rajnath Singh stresses readiness to handle potential disruptions in supply routes, advocating pre‑emptive assessment of buffer stock and domestic production capacity, and highlighting R&D as the key to overcoming challenges, trusting the nation’s talent to develop cutting‑edge technologies indigenously

Defense Minister urges a shift in attitude towards failure in research, noting that even advanced R&D systems have high failure rates, and calls for funding mechanisms that support high‑risk, high‑return projects and greater private sector participation to foster innovation and low‑cost technologies

Mr Rajnath Singh cites Israel, South Korea and the US as examples of a culture of research and innovation, where failure is seen as a learning opportunity, and stresses building a strong collaboration between industry and academia to create more R&D careers for youth

Defense Minister explains how the IDEX initiative has enabled startups and MSMEs to develop technologies that India previously relied on imports for, noting 4,000+ proposals in response to 229 Navy challenges and the role of Indian startups and MSMEs in naval systems, sensors, communications and other critical areas

Mr Rajnath Singh notes the growing demand for naval warships in the Indian Ocean region, emphasizing the need to increase domestic production and reduce costs while ensuring quality, functionality and affordability, and that self‑reliance should strengthen both national security and economic resilience

Defense Minister says the government ensures that lack of funds does not hinder talented youth, citing over ₹1,900 crore naval contracts as proof of tangible results, and stresses the need to focus on remaining import‑dependent areas, especially buyer‑designated equipment, to advance naval self‑reliance

Mr Rajnath Singh calls for a comprehensive approach to indigenisation, urging the creation of a roadmap for dual‑use technologies, expanding beyond the current positive list, prioritising technologies for both civilian and military maritime use, and identifying items usable by all three services and the Coast Guard as a key milestone in the second phase of self‑reliance

Defense Minister praises collaboration between armed forces, industry and academia to tackle emerging challenges such as quantum technology, AI in warfare and unmanned systems, stressing determination, continuous cooperation and clear focus on future operational needs

At this event, Navy Chief (CNS) Admiral Krish S. Swaminathan highlighted progress since 2022 in ‘Self‑Reliance’, noting IDEX challenges rose from 20 to 229 (≈35 % of total defence IDEX challenges), 41 AOAs worth over ₹3,500 crore approved, and 25 contracts worth over ₹1,900 crore signed

Navy Chief emphasises opportunities arising from advances in AI, autonomous systems, robotics and quantum sensing, outlining five focus areas—idea generation, prototyping, testing, contracting and service integration—to accelerate indigenous technology development and build a self‑reliant defence ecosystem with industry, startups and MSMEs

Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar says ‘Self‑Reliance 5.0’ is another key milestone in India’s journey of defence innovation and indigenisation, providing a shared platform for stakeholders to discuss emerging technologies, meet changing operational needs and identify new opportunities for indigenous capability development, and urges collaboration over competition to strengthen the defence ecosystem

Defence Production Secretary lauds the Indian Navy’s significant contribution to the success of the IDEX initiative, noting that IDEX is turning indigenous innovations into real procurement outcomes and strengthening naval operational capabilities

At this occasion, Chief of Defence Staff Gen N.S. Raja Subramani, Army Chief Gen Dhiraj Seth, Air Force Deputy Chief Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, CISSC Air Marshal Tejinder Singh, Navy Deputy Chief Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar, SIDM Vice‑President Shri Niraj Gupta, serving and retired officers, industry and education representatives, and IDEX winners were present

Technology Exhibition

Defense Minister toured a technology exhibition with over 100 stalls of startups and MSMEs, engaging with innovators working on solutions for naval challenges, and showcased products being integrated into the Indian Navy under the ‘Success Stories’ section

Autonomous maritime platforms, quantum technology in warfare, AI use, continuous surveillance, robust navigation, advanced communications and drone‑countermeasures illustrate the broad scope of indigenous development; the Minister noted progress since the launch of ‘Self‑Reliance’ in 2022 and confidence in India’s industrial capacity to deliver reliable, high‑quality indigenous technologies

Innovators’ publications and their achievements received recognition

Mr Rajnath Singh released documents on ‘Technology Requirements, Problem Statements and Future Concepts’ and ‘Self‑Reliance 5.0’, informing industry of the Indian Navy’s priorities and technology opportunities, and honoured keynote speakers and IDEX innovators for their contributions to strengthening India’s defence capabilities

The Indian Navy, in collaboration with the Defence Innovation Organisation and SIDM, is hosting this seminar from 26‑27 October 2026 at Manekshoh Centre, themed ‘Power and Capability through Innovation and Indigenisation’, covering quantum technology, AI, autonomous systems and hypersonic technology, with a focus on their application in future wars and naval operations

These special sessions aim to strengthen self‑reliance and the IDEX ecosystem, develop robust domestic supply chains, promote academic entrepreneurship and enable startups to expand promising indigenous technologies, with investor and venture‑capitalist dialogues to support funding, scaling and commercialisation of emerging defence ventures