Minister of State for Defence to inaugurate Kalam & Kavach 3.0 themed ‘Taking JAI Forward With I²’
New Delhi, May 13. Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth will inaugurate the third edition of Kalam & Kavach at Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi on May 14, 2026. The conference will serve as a premier strategic platform bringing together senior policy makers, military leadership, defence industry stakeholders, diplomats, innovators, start-ups, academia & strategic experts to deliberate on India’s evolving defence transformation, indigenous capability development, and future warfighting preparedness.
The event is centred around the strategic vision of Jointness, Aatmanirbharta and Innovation (JAI), along with emphasis on Indigenisation and International Collaboration (I²). It seeks to advance discussions on integrated military capability development, technological innovation, and strategic partnerships in line with the national security objectives and the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
The event includes a series of high-level strategic sessions, keynote addresses, fireside conversations, and industry engagements focusing on the future of India’s defence and security landscape. It will witness participation of Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, senior officials from Ministry of Defence, HQ IDS, DRDO, National Security Advisory Board, foreign ambassadors, defence attaches from friendly countries, global defence corporations, Indian industry leaders, MSMEs, start-ups, and leading strategic think tanks. The inaugural session will also feature a special address by the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC) Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit along with senior representatives from the strategic & defence ecosystem.
Key thematic discussions include future-proofing India’s warfighting edge, focusing on AI-enabled warfare, autonomous systems, hypersonic technologies, quantum-enabled Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities, emerging space and low-earth orbit threats, and Tri-service integration. From partnership to capability, the discussion will examine strategic global partnerships, co-development models, advanced defence manufacturing, and technology transfer frameworks.
Accelerating Aatmanirbharta & scaling defence manufacturing, Kalam & Kavach 3.0 aims to highlight MSME participation, iDEX-driven innovation ecosystems, defence industrial corridors, indigenous production capabilities, and production scalability for achieving Viksit Bharat@2047. The event will focus on global partnerships, Indian advantage and exploring how trusted international collaborations can strengthen India’s defence-industrial base while supporting indigenous capability development.
