Rajnath Singh stresses domestic defence manufacturing for strategic autonomy

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stressed the need to strengthen domestic defence manufacturing and master critical technologies to achieve strategic autonomy. At the NDTV Defence Summit, he highlighted AI, quantum technology, robotics, autonomous systems and cybersecurity as key to future warfare.

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said India must strengthen domestic defence manufacturing capabilities and achieve greater control over critical technologies to attain strategic autonomy in an increasingly complex global security environment.

Addressing the NDTV Defence Summit 2026 here, Singh said the country’s approach was guided by a simple philosophy of producing domestically whatever could be made within India instead of relying on imports.

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“From chips to ships, from screws to complete weapon systems, this will take India to strategic autonomy,” he said, underlining the importance of indigenous design, innovation and adaptation across the defence sector.

The minister said India’s ability to manufacture and control key components of the defence supply chain would play a critical role in enhancing national security and reducing dependence on overseas vendors.

According to him, long-term defence preparedness would require mastery over critical technologies and greater self-reliance across the manufacturing ecosystem.

Highlighting recent policy measures, Singh said the government had undertaken structural and transformative reforms to strengthen the domestic defence industry, helping the sector gain significant momentum in recent years.

“We are not limited to meeting current needs; we are self-reliant and future oriented,” he said.

Drawing a comparison with the evolution of the telecommunications sector from 2G to 5G technologies, Singh said warfare had also entered a fifth-generation phase, where advanced technologies would increasingly shape military capabilities and outcomes.

He noted that artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, robotics, autonomous systems and cybersecurity were becoming integral parts of modern warfare.

Singh said India was actively promoting indigenous quantum technologies while simultaneously strengthening the policy framework required to support emerging defence innovations.

The Defence Minister added that India was enhancing its capabilities for contact and non-contact warfare, as well as kinetic and non-kinetic military operations, while diversifying critical energy resources required for national security.

According to Singh, future battlefields would extend across multiple domains and become increasingly technology-driven. Countries that secure an advantage in cutting-edge technologies would be better positioned to deal with evolving security challenges and maintain superiority in modern conflicts, he said.

The minister also praised the role of India’s youth in driving technological innovation. He said young Indians were working on artificial intelligence, drone technologies, robotics, quantum computing, cybersecurity solutions and autonomous systems, contributing to the country’s future defence preparedness.

“India’s youth are no longer just preparing for future jobs. They are preparing technology for India’s future wars,” Singh said.