Defence Minister addresses Annual Convention of Indian National Academy of Engineering at IIT Delhi

• Defence Minister exhorts scientists & engineers to specialise in high-end tech for strengthening India’s position in cutting-edge innovation

• Calls to stay connected with the country’s heritage while forging ahead

• “Need to establish better organic relationship among industry, R&D organisations and academia to achieve progress in disruptive tech”

• India is passing through a defining moment; It will soon achieve a formidable technical edge in international arena: Mr. Rajnath Singh

New Delhi. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has called upon the scientists and engineers to gain command over high-end technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence & Quantum Computing, in tune with the changing times, with the aim to further strengthen India’s position in the field of advance, frontier & cutting-edge innovation. He was addressing the inaugural session of Indian National Academy of Engineering’s Annual Convention at IIT Delhi on December 19, 2024.

Defence Minister emphasised that these niche technologies are going to impact almost every sector in a big way in the coming times. “Right now, we are in the initial phase. Our aim should be to first gain command over these technologies, so that in the future, they can be used for the welfare of the people to fulfil their immediate basic needs,” he added.

Mr. Rajnath Singh pointed out that the world is continuously evolving, and the defence sector cannot remain untouched by this change. He stated that earlier, due to some reasons, India was left behind in terms of modern weapons and technology, but ever since the Government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has come to power, the country has moved towards self-reliance in defence at an unprecedented pace.

“Modern warfare is changing rapidly, therefore there is a need to adopt high-end technology. Towards this, we have brought out schemes like Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) and Technology Development Fund (TDF) to bring out the talent of the youth, through which their as well as the nation’s dreams can come true,” said Defence Minister.

Mr. Rajnath Singh asserted that India is passing through a defining moment as it is exporting even those weapons which it once imported. He credited this revolutionary transformation to the collective efforts of the public & private sectors, academia, and engineers & innovators, exuding confidence that the country will soon achieve a formidable technical edge in the global arena.

While Defence Minister lauded the role of IITs in the scientific development of the country in collaboration with DRDO, he called for establishing an even better organic relationship among the industry, research & development organisations and academia. “In developed countries, academic campuses play an important role in progressing frontier technologies. There is a need to explore ways on how to co-opt IIT Delhi and similar institutions of higher scientific learning & excellence with the government’s development campaign,” he added.

“India is the youngest country at present. Our youth have the passion and the ability to innovate. Our government stands with them at every step. We encourage their innovation and provide them funds as per their needs. Today, India has become a hub of innovation and start-ups, due to which we are continuously gaining technological prowess. We will always stand with our engineers and innovators. With our combined efforts, we will realise our dream of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’,” said Mr. Rajnath Singh.

Defence Minister commended Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE) for playing a crucial role in making India self-reliant. By focusing on innovation, collaboration and modernisation, this institute has started a technological revolution in India, he said.

Mr. Rajnath Singh also urged the engineers and innovators to never forget the country’s heritage as they make headway in new & disruptive technologies. He stated that there is no harm in adopting the western model as per the needs, but staying connected with the heritage would help in paving the way ahead. “Illuminate the path of your future with the light of your history. Build the tallest building of your future by making your past as a base,” he said.

On the occasion, Defence Minister also visited the exhibition put up by defence industries, wherein technologies and products developed by Defence-Industry-Academia co-operation were showcased. He also appreciated the poster session, presented by the Masters students and PhD Research Scholars of IIT Delhi.

Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat; INAE President Prof Indranil Manna; Director, IIT Delhi Prof Rangan Banerjee; Chairman & MD, Larsen &Toubro Ltd Mr. SN Subrahmanyan; Delegates from Department of Science and Technology, Anusandhan National Research Foundation; DRDO and industry representatives were present on the occasion.

The three-day convention is being attended by about 400 engineers and technologists, comprising of INAE Fellows from the academia, industry, R&D organisations and Strategic Sectors; INAE Young Associates; Faculty, Post Graduate Students and Research Scholars of IIT Delhi and other professional associated with the engineering  domain. It provides a golden opportunity for networking amongst Fellows and Young Associates. Panel Discussions and Plenary Talk by eminent personalities are conducted on topics of interest for all delegates and participants.

INAE is an autonomous professional body partly supported by grant-in-aid from the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India. The Academy undertakes meaningful technical activities each year, which have enhanced its visibility in the national engineering domain. INAE is enriched in its functioning through the leadership provided by iconic personalities in engineering and technology as its Presidents including Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. It, presently, has 1,004 Indian Fellows and 107 Foreign Fellows on its rolls identified in 10 Engineering Sections covering the entire gamut of engineering disciplines.