New Delhi, Oct 26 (JKNS): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday called for ‘Aatmanirbharta 2.0’ in the defence sector, emphasising advanced indigenous technologies, stronger research and development (R&D) and resilient domestic supply chains to reduce import dependence and strengthen India’s technological capabilities.
Addressing the fifth edition of SWAVLAMBAN, the Indian Navy’s Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Seminar, in New Delhi, as per news agency JKNS, Singh said the next phase of defence self-reliance must focus on developing cost-effective, operationally superior and globally competitive technologies to achieve the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
He said the progress made in defence indigenisation over the past decade had laid a strong foundation for the next phase, which must pursue more ambitious technological goals.
Singh described supply chain management as a strategic imperative directly linked to national security and called for a time-bound roadmap identifying critical technologies, industries and resources required to achieve self-reliance.
He stressed the need to prepare for possible disruptions in supply routes and assess buffer stocks and domestic production capabilities in advance, rather than waiting for a crisis.
Highlighting the importance of research and development, the Defence Minister called for a change in attitudes towards failure, noting that it was a natural part of the innovation process.
He urged the development of funding mechanisms to support high-risk, high-reward projects and called for greater private-sector participation in defence R&D, alongside a stronger focus on affordable technologies.
Singh also stressed the need for stronger industry-academia collaboration, greater encouragement within educational institutions and more opportunities for young people to pursue careers in research and innovation.
Highlighting the contribution of the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative, he said more than 4,000 proposals had been submitted against 229 challenges issued by the Indian Navy, reflecting the growing participation of start-ups and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in developing indigenous defence technologies.
He said Indian start-ups and MSMEs had developed solutions in naval systems, sensors, communications and other critical areas by converting operational challenges into opportunities for innovation.
Singh noted that demand for naval ships was steadily increasing amid the evolving situation in the Indian Ocean Region and called for measures to reduce construction costs while expanding domestic production.
“Our Government has ensured that a lack of funding does not become an obstacle to the aspirations of our talented youth,” he said, adding that naval contracts worth more than ₹1,900 crore demonstrated tangible progress under the initiative.
He also highlighted the need to address remaining areas of import dependence, particularly Buyer Nominated Equipment, to further advance the Indian Navy’s self-reliance efforts.
Calling for a broader approach to indigenisation, Singh advocated a ‘Dual Technology Roadmap’ to identify technologies that could serve both civilian and military requirements. He also suggested identifying technologies that could be used across the Army, Navy, Air Force and Indian Coast Guard to strengthen jointness and improve resource utilisation.
He appreciated the collaboration among the armed forces, industry and academic institutions in developing emerging capabilities, including quantum technologies, artificial intelligence and uncrewed systems.
Speaking at the event, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan highlighted the growth of SWAVLAMBAN since 2022, stating that Navy-specific iDEX challenges had increased from 20 to 229, accounting for around 35 per cent of all iDEX challenges across the defence sector.
He said 41 Acceptance of Necessity cases worth more than ₹3,500 crore had been accorded, while 25 contracts valued at over ₹1,900 crore had been signed.
Swaminathan identified ideation, prototyping, testing, contracting and induction, and life-cycle support as key areas for accelerating the development of indigenous capabilities. He called for stronger collaboration among the Navy, industry, start-ups and MSMEs to build a future-ready defence ecosystem.
Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar said SWAVLAMBAN 5.0 provided a common platform for stakeholders to discuss emerging technologies, address operational requirements and explore opportunities for indigenous capacity development.
He urged stakeholders to move from competition to collaboration to strengthen national security and support nation-building, while appreciating the Indian Navy’s contribution to the success of iDEX.
During the event, Singh visited a technology exhibition featuring more than 100 stalls by start-ups and MSMEs and interacted with innovators working on naval challenges.
The exhibition showcased indigenous solutions in autonomous maritime platforms, quantum technologies, artificial intelligence in warfare, persistent surveillance, resilient navigation, advanced communications and counter-drone systems.
Singh also released the ‘Compendium of Technology Imperatives, Problem Statements and Future Concepts’ and the ‘SWAVLAMBAN 5.0’ document, outlining naval priorities and development opportunities for industry. He felicitated speakers and iDEX innovators for their contributions to India’s defence capabilities.
The two-day seminar, organised by the Indian Navy in collaboration with the Defence Innovation Organisation and the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers, is being held at Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi on October 26 and 27 under the theme ‘Strength and Power through Innovation and Indigenisation’.
Senior defence officials, representatives of industry and academia, and iDEX innovators attended the event. (JKNS)
