Gandhinagar, March 16
India is investing in next-generation technologies that are reshaping how defence solutions are designed and developed, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said.
Speaking virtually at a two-day roundtable conference for defence attaches at Rashtriya Raksha University in Gandhinagar on Monday, Mr Singh said India had emerged over the past decade as a major centre of innovation in the defence and security sector.
He said the country’s push under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat programme aimed to build self-reliance while staying globally connected.
“India today is investing in next-generation technology, from artificial intelligence and unmanned systems to space and advanced digital capabilities, transforming the way defence solutions are conceived and developed,” Mr Singh said.
The conference, themed ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat in the Global Defence Tech Landscape: Accelerating Innovation, Exports, and Joint Technology Partnerships’, has brought together diplomats and defence representatives from 24 countries across Africa, Asia, the Pacific and the Caribbean.
Mr Singh said India recognised that technological progress could not succeed in isolation, particularly as warfare evolves across cyber domains and hybrid threats.
He said deeper international cooperation was now essential, with sustainable security depending on partnership, co-development, knowledge sharing, training and collaborative capability building.
India’s expanding defence ties across regions reflected that approach, he said, adding that New Delhi was working with partners through dialogue, joint military exercises and industrial cooperation to support a secure, open and inclusive international order.
Mr Singh also highlighted the role of defence attaches, describing them as a vital bridge between militaries, governments and the defence industry, helping strengthen global security cooperation.
He said the roundtable underlined India’s commitment to dialogue, innovation and partnership in the defence and security domain.
