Self-reliance is not just domestic production but technological sovereignty: Rajnath Singh

According to reports by The Hindu and Business Standard, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has stated that military preparedness in the twenty-first century is intimately linked with technological and industrial capabilities. He emphasized that the country's pursuit of self-reliance should not remain limited merely to domestic production, but must move forward toward achieving technological sovereignty.

The Minister made these remarks while addressing the inaugural session of the third edition of the two-day Delhi Defence Dialogue 2026, held on the theme 'Defence Self-Reliance, Collaborations and Exports' at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA) in New Delhi. The event is being held during November 3 and 4, with policy-makers, military officials, industry representatives, academicians, and strategic experts from India and abroad participating in it.

According to Rajnath Singh, true self-reliance means possessing the knowledge to design defence platforms, the technology for their manufacturing, the intellectual property to upgrade them, and the capability to sustain them throughout their entire lifecycle. He described defence reforms, self-reliance, international collaboration, and exports as the four interconnected pillars of India's strategic autonomy and its ambition to become a developed nation by 2047. He added that self-reliance without reforms, international collaboration, and exports would limit India's technological horizons, industrial reach, and global competitiveness.

Highlighting the changing nature of warfare, he stated that recent conflicts have shown that the battlefield has moved beyond land, sea, and air into space, cyberspace, and the digital domain. Expectedly, the growing use of low-cost drones and autonomous systems is challenging sophisticated and expensive military platforms, making rapid innovation, mass production, and the ability to replenish military capabilities equally crucial.

The government is encouraging greater private sector participation in advanced defence programmes, which include the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), propulsion systems, Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), artillery ammunition, and shipbuilding. Pointing toward the growth of the domestic defence industry, the Defence Minister stated that production in the year 2025-26 has reached a record ₹1.78 lakh crore, while exports have risen to ₹38,424 crore. Indian defence products are now reaching over 80 countries.

Stating that the government has set a target of reaching ₹3 lakh crore in defence production and ₹50,000 crore in exports by the year 2029, he emphasized improving manufacturing capacity, product quality, and global competitiveness. Rajnath Singh also stressed the need for greater involvement of the armed forces in research and development, alongside providing scientists with adequate freedom to pursue unconventional ideas beyond immediate operational requirements.

Regarding international partnerships, he called for moving beyond procurement and licensed production towards co-development, co-production, and shared innovation, involving meaningful Indian participation in design, technology, and intellectual property.