Rajnath Singh calls for building an innovation ecosystem to transform India from technology consumer to creator

New Delhi, November 11. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has emphasised the need for India to evolve from being a consumer of technology to becoming its creator, by fostering an innovation ecosystem built on collaboration, agility, and robust institutions.

Delivering the inaugural address at the Delhi Defence Dialogue organised by the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA) on November 11, the Defence Minister said India must create conditions where niche technologies and products thrive through seamless coordination among “the soldier, the scientist, the start-up, and the strategist”.

The dialogue this year is themed ‘Harnessing New Age Technology for Defence Capability Development’.

Singh stressed the importance of developing systems that make the creation and adoption of new technologies both natural and self-sustaining.

“If our foundations are strong, our institutions agile, our minds open, and our collaboration seamless, then every new technological wave will propel us,” he said. “We will not merely adapt to revolutions made elsewhere, but become the architects of revolutions born here.”

Highlighting the transformative potential of disruptive technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Quantum Computing, and Swarm Tech, he noted that true progress lies in how effectively such tools are integrated into national security structures.

“Harnessing technology is not just about adding new tools; it is about making our institutions more agile, anticipatory, and adaptive,” he added.

The Defence Minister underlined that defence preparedness also depends on “invisible technologies” like secure data architectures, encrypted networks, automated maintenance systems, and interoperable databases. Without strong internal processes and capable institutions, he cautioned, even the most advanced technologies would achieve little.

Pointing to the government’s efforts to make India a leader in innovation, Singh said the country’s defence industrial base is expanding rapidly with renewed confidence and synergy among DRDO, the armed forces, industry, and academia. This, he said, has created a “virtuous cycle of research, testing, feedback, and innovation”.

He also cited initiatives such as Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) and the Technology Development Fund (TDF), which are nurturing a generation of innovators contributing to India’s defence self-reliance.

“From autonomous systems and quantum sensors to advanced materials and space-based surveillance, future technologies will bear the imprint of Indian ingenuity,” he remarked.

Calling for extending ‘Aatmanirbharta’ (self-reliance) beyond manufacturing to digital sovereignty, Singh said true strategic autonomy would come only when India develops indigenous software, algorithms, and chips. He announced efforts to promote secure indigenous software stacks, trusted semiconductor supply chains, and AI models trained on Indian data.

He further emphasised that technology must serve as both a force multiplier and a resource optimiser, calling for the use of data analytics in capital procurement to enhance efficiency. Singh revealed that he has directed that life-cycle costs be considered at the inception stage of all procurement proposals to ensure sustainability.

Encouraging the armed forces to adopt global best practices in training, logistics, and management systems, he said, “It is far better to import best practices than to import the best equipment. Once our systems are robust, adaptive, and transparent, we can produce excellence here at home.”

He added that MP-IDSA could play a key role in studying and adapting these practices to India’s needs.

Singh began his address by expressing condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the November 10 Delhi accident, assuring that a thorough investigation was underway and that those responsible would face justice.

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, MP-IDSA Director General Ambassador Sujan Chinoy, foreign envoys, and senior civil and military officials attended the event.