Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said that the government is working to enhance R&D through reliable certification mechanisms and facilitate Indian intellectual property creation to make the country a global drone hub, as unmanned systems are redefining warfare.
Addressing the inaugural Delhi Defence Dialogue (DDD) organised by the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the Modi government is committed to creating an ‘Adaptive Defence’ in the country to counter the challenges posed by rapidly evolving global landscape.
The theme of the Delhi Defence Dialogue was, ‘Adaptive Defence: Navigating the Changing Landscape of Modern Warfare’.
“India is aiming to become a drone hub of the world. Several initiatives have been taken in this regard. This will not only help the Indian economy but also make significant contributions to our Make in India and the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives. We are already working to improve Research & Development through reliable certification mechanisms, and facilitate Indian Intellectual Property creation in this sector,” Rajnath Singh said.
The Minister also stated that additionally, we have also introduced rewards for innovation through the schemes of iDEX and ADITI.
Elaborating on the central theme of the Dialogue, he said, “Adaptive Defence is not merely responding to what has happened but anticipating what could happen, and preparing for it proactively. In essence, it involves fostering a mindset and capability to adapt, innovate and thrive, even in the face of unpredictable and evolving circumstances.”
“Situational awareness, flexibility at strategic and tactical levels, resilience, agility, and integration with the futuristic technologies are the keys to understanding and creating adaptive defence,” he pointed out to suggest that it must be the mantra of our strategic formulations and operational responses.
The Minister asserted that traditional notions of war are being reshaped by emerging technologies and evolving strategic partnerships, with new perspectives, doctrines and concepts of operations emerging within the armed forces in keeping with the changing nature of threats and challenges.