India entering golden era of defence innovation: Rajnath Singh

New Delhi, Nov 25 (PTI) India cannot adopt a reactive approach and should have a "proactive" outlook amid a rapidly changing world and evolving geopolitics, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday, asserting that the country must strive to stay ahead of the curve and be "future-ready".

In his address at 'Swavlamban 2025' being held at the Manekshaw Centre here, Singh said India is entering a "golden era of defence innovation", and its foundation is being laid by "our innovators and young entrepreneurs" who are integrating economic strength, strategic thinking and technological advancements.

'Swavlamban', hosted by the Navy, is its flagship event on innovation and indigenisation. The two-day event will end on Wednesday.

In the defence ecosystem, "we have to grow in a bigger, bolder, faster mode," he said, addressing a gathering of officers from the Navy, representatives of some private firms and start-ups in the defence sector, and other innovators.

The Union minister called upon the private sector to have "a 'profit-plus' approach", wherein the private players should also keep in mind national interests, a sense of duty to do something for the country, and strategic responsibility, besides seeking profit in business.

Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, senior officers of the armed forces, DRDO Chairman Samir V Kamat, and several experts and innovators from the defence sector were present on the occasion.

In his address, Singh said technology has become critical today, and the world is changing rapidly, while geopolitics and maritime challenges are also evolving. In such a scenario, India "cannot adopt a reactive approach" and it has to have a "proactive" outlook, he said, adding, "We must stay ahead of the curve and be future-ready".

Singh said innovators in India today inject confidence in him and lauded them for coming forth with path-breaking solutions and helping the nation emerge as a builder, creator and leader and not merely a buyer.

The minister asserted that the more innovators grow and dream, the more secure, capable, powerful and 'Aatmanirbhar' India will become.

The private industry must expand its role and move forward at a new pace in production, technology, design and innovation, he said, and urged the private sector to strive to increase its contribution in defence manufacturing to 50 per cent or more in the coming years.

Highlighting the long-term financial burden of maintenance, repair, overhaul, and spare parts supply for defence equipment imported from foreign countries, Singh emphasised the need to minimise import dependency and create a strong and self-reliant domestic supply chain.

Singh called upon the private industry to identify and apprise the government about the next big platform, disruptive technology, or a path-breaking innovation they can project.

"India is changing, the defence sector is changing, and geopolitics is changing. We too must change our thinking. We must march ahead at an unprecedented pace. This is not the time to retreat, but to forge a path forward," he said.

Before his address, Singh also visited the exhibition hall and interacted with some of the participants at the event.

Admiral Tripathi, in his address, said with each successive edition, Swavlamban has grown in scope, scale, and participation -- evolving from 800 participants in its maiden edition to an impressive gathering of 3,000 last year.

"Out of the 565 iDEX challenges announced so far, the Indian Navy owns a significant share of 35 per cent, and Swavlamban has been central to achieving this," he said.

The admiral said the products developed by start-ups and MSMEs through iDEX challenges have "strengthened" the Navy's capabilities.

The event also featured an extensive technology exhibition displaying cutting-edge innovations in AI, autonomous systems, communication technologies, quantum computing, stealth solutions and smart ordinances.

Nearly 80 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and start-ups presented their prototypes and solutions designed to meet operational and strategic requirements of the Navy, the defence ministry said.

"This edition witnessed the display of tangible products which have come to fruition over time and would soon be deployed for operational use," it said.

In the presence of Singh, an MoU was signed among the Navy, IIT-Madras and Apollo Micro Systems, aimed at integrating the academic R&D capabilities of the institution, field expertise and requirements of the force, and manufacturing capabilities of the company towards indigenous development and production of state-of-the-art armament systems.

He also launched the SARATHI (System for Armament Review, Analysis, Tracking, Handling and Indigenisation) application, an analytical and knowledge management tool, developed as a one-stop solution for all naval armament inspection-related issues.

It has been completely designed and developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, Chennai.

On the occasion, 'Innovathon', a naval hackathon, was also launched for students, researchers, technologists and developers to contribute their intellect and creativity towards addressing real operational challenges of the maritime domain.

It also witnessed the felicitation of 10 iDEX winners and the release of key documents -- Compendium of Indian Naval Technological Challenges and Problem Statements, Swavlamban 4.0 Document and Armament Indigenisation Compendium, by the minister. PTI KND RHL