Rajnath Singh says defence self-reliance must achieve technological sovereignty
The Defence Minister stated that India must move beyond manufacturing to own the design and intellectual property of military platforms.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday that India's pursuit of self-reliance must extend beyond domestic manufacturing to achieve technological sovereignty. Speaking at the Delhi Defence Dialogue 2026 at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), Singh said military readiness in the 21st century is tied to industrial and technological capabilities.
According to The Hindu, Singh explained that true self-reliance involves having the knowledge to design platforms, the technology to build them, the intellectual property to upgrade them, and the ability to maintain them throughout their lifecycle. He identified defence reforms, international collaborations, exports, and Aatmanirbharta as four linked pillars for India's strategic autonomy and its goal to become a developed nation by 2047.
The Minister noted that recent conflicts show warfare is expanding into space, cyberspace, and the digital domain. He said the use of inexpensive drones and autonomous systems challenges expensive military platforms, making rapid innovation and large-scale manufacturing essential.
Singh stated that the government is encouraging private sector involvement in programmes such as the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), propulsion systems, and shipbuilding. He noted that defence production reached a record ₹1.78 lakh crore in 2025-26, while exports rose to ₹38,424 crore, with products reaching more than 80 countries.
The government aims to reach ₹3 lakh crore in annual defence production and ₹50,000 crore in exports by 2029. Singh also called for moving from buyer-seller relationships toward co-development and shared innovation with international partners.