“Nation

that, most swiftly, adapts to technological revolution will hold decisive edge

in future warfare”

“Defence

research is at center of Govt’s priorities; Over 2,200 technologies transferred

to industries by DRDO”

“Headway

must in emerging domains like Directed Energy & Hypersonic Weapons,

Underwater & Space, Quantum Tech, AI & ML”

“Op

Sindoor irrefutable proof that India understands evolving nature of warfare

& deploys technological advancements with unwavering confidence”

“Defence

production reaches record high of Rs 1.54 lakh crore in FY 2025-26, with

defence exports touching all-time high of Rs 38,424 crore; this rise set to

accelerate even more”

Prayagraj,

04 May (HS): Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh has underscored the criticality of

sustained focus on research and cultivating the element of surprise to stay

future-ready in the present era of intense technological revolution. He was

addressing defence personnel, industry captains, innovators, start-ups and

academia representatives during the inaugural session of the three-day North

Tech Symposium, organised by the Indian Army’s Northern & Central Commands

and Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers, in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh on Monday.

Raksha

Mantri highlighted the explosive rate of technological change being witnessed

in modern-day warfare, in addition to the emergence of the constant

“never-imagined-before” element of surprise. “In the Russia-Ukraine conflict,

the nature of warfare transformed from tanks and missiles to game-changer

drones & sensors within a span of merely three or four years. Furthermore,

things which are part of day-to-day life are turning into deadly weapons. The

pager attacks in Lebanon and Syria have prompted a reassessment of modern

warfare methods. In such a situation, we need to be prepared,” he said.

Rajnath

Singh emphasised the need to adopt a proactive approach and build capabilities

that enable the country, should the need arise, to launch an unexpected strike

against its adversary. “History bears witness that in warfare, the decisive

edge invariably belongs to the side that possesses the element of surprise.

While our defence forces are already working in that direction, we must make

further progress with greater proactivity,” he said.

Underlining

the importance of ensuring adaptability in the present complex and rapidly

evolving environment, Raksha Mantri stressed that the nation that, most

swiftly, adapts to the technological revolution holds the decisive edge in the

future warfare landscape. He added that there’s no substitute for research in

today’s world, and the manner in which future wars will be fought is being

determined within the laboratories today.

Rajnath

Singh emphasised that the Government has placed defence research at the center

of its priorities, and has endeavored to take it to the next level through

DRDO. “DRDO is no longer embarking on this journey alone. Guided by the mantra

‘If you want to go far, go together’, it is marching ahead hand-in-hand with a

large number of industries,” he said.

Raksha

Mantri pointed out that 25% of the Defence R&D budget has been allocated to

the industry, academia, and start-ups, and to date, these entities have already

utilised over Rs 4,500 crore of the budget. He added that a new Transfer of

Technology policy has been implemented, wherein the 20% fee, levied earlier,

has been completely waived off for Development-cum-Production Partners,

Development Partners, and Production Agencies. As a result, DRDO has, so far,

transferred over 2,200 technologies to various industries, he said.

Rajnath

Singh further stated that DRDO has initiated a policy granting Indian

industries free access to its patents, a move that will bolster both their

technological capabilities and global competitiveness. “DRDO's testing

facilities have also been opened up for the industries on a payment basis.

Every year, hundreds of industries utilise these facilities for R&D

support,” he said.

Raksha

Mantri stressed that the industries must step forward and excel in areas such

as Directed Energy Weapons, Hypersonic Weapons, Underwater Domain Awareness,

Space Situational Awareness, Quantum Technologies, Artificial Intelligence and

Machine Learning. He extended the Government’s full support in this endeavor.

Rajnath

Singh appreciated the defence forces & the industry for thoroughly

analysing the evolving circumstances, and ensuring India’s preparedness,

describing Operation Sindoor as a prime example of technological warfare and

the nation’s readiness. “Op Sindoor demonstrated the valor and capabilities of

our defence forces to the world. Cutting-edge indigenous equipment, including

advanced missile systems such as Akashteer, Akash missile system & BrahMos,

was used during the operation. It served as irrefutable proof that we not only

understand the evolving nature of warfare but are deploying technological

advancements with unwavering confidence,” he said.

Enumerating

the steps taken by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi-led Government to

strengthen the defence ecosystem of the country, Raksha Mantri stated that the

initiatives such as Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), Acing

Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX (ADITI) and Technology

Development Fund (TDF) are striving to foster innovation and significantly

increase private sector participation. Infrastructure development within the

defence sector is being prioritised, he added. He also highlighted the number

of infrastructure projects directly linked to the defence sector launched in

Uttar Pradesh, especially the setting-up of the Defence Industrial Corridor,

which are actively enhancing India's defence capabilities.

Rajnath

Singh underlined that the Government’s self-reliance efforts are yielding

positive results as the domestic defence production has reached a record high

of Rs 1.54 lakh crore in Financial Year 2025-26, with defence exports touching

an all-time high figure of Rs 38,424 crore. This rise is poised to accelerate

even more, he said, adding that the private sector has made a significant

contribution to this achievement. Recalling his recent visit to Germany, he

said that foreign companies are expressing keen interest in forging

partnerships with Indian defence firms, which is a testimony to the growing

stature of the Indian defence industry in the international market.

Raksha

Mantri described the North Tech Symposium, themed ‘Raksha Triveni Sangam -

Where Technology, Industry & Soldiering Converge', as a significant step

towards fostering innovation and advancing India’s technological & defence

preparedness. He hoped for concrete suggestions to enable all stakeholders to

further enhance their performance. He suggested the creation of a Knowledge

Corridor to enable the stakeholders to share expertise, and collectively

enhance capabilities across emerging and unexplored domains. “It is our

collective endeavor that we establish ourselves as the most formidable military

power in the world in the times to come,” he said.

In

his address, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C), Central Command

Lieutenant General Anindya Sengupta stated that the symposium provides a unique

platform to the defence forces, Industry, start-ups, innovators, and academia

to develop indigenous technological solutions aimed at addressing critical

operational challenges. He added that the endeavor is guided by JAI (Jointness,

Aatmanirbharta & Innovation) which is essential to strengthen the

warfighting capabilities of the country.

GOC-in-C,

Northern Command Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma emphasised that the objective

of the symposium is to transform ideas, innovation, and experience into

deployable capabilities. He added that, in view of the recent conflicts,

specific capabilities such as Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), Counter-UAS

systems, AI-enabled decision-making tools, precision strike capabilities, and

advanced artillery systems have become indispensable for establishing dominance

on the battlefield.

UP

Government’s Cabinet Minister for Industrial Development, Export Promotion, NRI

& Investment Promotion Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi; Chief of the Army Staff

General Upendra Dwivedi; Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Central Air Command

Air Marshal Balakrishnan Manikantan; DG, Armed Forces Medical Services Surgeon

Vice Admiral Arti Sarin; SIDM President Arun T Ramchandani; and Professor

Ramakrishnan S, IIT Madras were present on the occasion.

During

the symposium, Problem Definition Statements of Northern and Central Commands

will be discussed at length by all the stakeholders with the aim to chart the

way forward. These Problem Definition Statements has been prepared through

structured progression from sensing the environment needs, identification of

tech voids considering the contemporary conflicts and analysing &

prioritising the requirements. Eight Focus Teams have been instituted across

domains to spearhead interaction with troops deployed on ground, industry

partners and academia.

As

part of the symposium, an exhibition, showcasing indigenous solutions from an

array of participants including MSMEs, private Defence Tech firms, start-ups

and innovators in uniform, was organised. Two-hundred and eighty four (284)

companies have set-up stalls to demonstrate their latest innovations and

technologies.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi