IAF Chief calls for faster indigenous defence technology, deeper integration

New Delhi, Aug 12. Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh has stressed the need to accelerate indigenous defence technology development, warning that delays in acquiring critical capabilities could render them irrelevant as adversaries and competitors move ahead.

Addressing an event here on July 30 on the integration of futuristic defence capabilities, the IAF chief said India must move beyond developing individual technologies and focus on integrating them across operational, procedural and production frameworks.

“Technology delayed is technology denied,” he said, underlining the importance of developing and deploying new capabilities before they lose their operational advantage.

Air Chief Marshal Singh particularly highlighted the growing importance of unmanned systems and said effective integration would require greater coordination among different stakeholders. While various operational zones and capabilities have been established, he stressed that their effective implementation would depend on knowing and coordinating each other’s positions, both in terms of procedures and production.

He also called for complete indigenisation of the defence supply chain, arguing that true self-reliance could only be achieved when every component is developed within the country.

“Every brick should be developed in India. Then only we can say that we are fully indigenous,” he said.

Cybersecurity and artificial intelligence were identified as other critical areas requiring urgent attention. The IAF chief emphasised the need to develop indigenous AI algorithms to strengthen India’s technological and operational autonomy.

Calling for greater industry participation in defence research and development, Air Chief Marshal Singh urged major companies to support startups through funding, mentorship and long-term partnerships. He appealed to established players to adopt promising startups and invest in their development rather than focusing solely on immediate financial returns.

Earlier, Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth reiterated the government’s commitment to building a self-reliant defence ecosystem as part of the broader goal of making India a developed nation by 2047.

Seth said indigenous innovation would be central to the government’s ambition of transforming the Indian Air Force into one of the world’s most capable air forces. He emphasised that India’s commitment to self-reliance in defence was not merely an aspiration but a determined national objective.

On India’s approach to national security, Seth said the country’s civilisational ethos was rooted in peace and the welfare of humanity under the principle of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’. At the same time, he stressed that India remained prepared to respond decisively to terrorism or any threat to its sovereignty and security.

“The world is looking towards India today,” Seth said, asserting that the country’s ambition to build a stronger and more self-reliant defence capability represented a firm resolve rather than merely a dream.