India Aims For Tech Leadership In Defence: RM
Text of RM’s speech at the MP-IDSA – 2nd Delhi Defence Dialogue
It gives me immense pleasure to be amidst this august assembly of eminent speakers and participants at the Delhi Defence Dialogue 2025. I extend my warmest welcome to our distinguished international guests, whose wisdom and global perspectives will enrich our deliberations and lend greater substance to this Dialogue. I appreciate the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses and the Director General, Ambassador Sujan Chinoy, for leading this edition of the Delhi Defence Dialogue.
Firstly, I convey my congratulations on the successful convening of this edition of the Delhi Defence Dialogue. This forum has emerged as a flagship platform for thoughtful deliberation and strategic engagement on the multifaceted challenges of defence and security. The dialogue brings together informed voices, fresh perspectives, and analytical insights to examine contemporary trends and evolving ideas in a rapidly transforming global environment.
I also take this opportunity to wish the Director General MP-IDSA, scholars, staff, members and everyone who has been associated with the Institute, a very happy 60th Foundation Day. I have been told that it was on this day that IDSA was instituted in 1965 with the vision to “promote national and international security through the generation and dissemination of knowledge on defence and security-related issues.” Over the years, MP-IDSA has emerged as one of the finest think tanks not only in Asia but also globally, through its in-depth, independent scholarly research, policy guidance and efforts to enhance strategic thought in the country. I am hopeful that the Institute will continue its excellent work, striving towards its ideals and supporting efforts for national and international security.
The theme for the current edition of the Delhi Defence Dialogue is ‘Harnessing New Age Technology for Defence Capability Development’. In light of the prevailing international security environment and ongoing Operation SINDOOR, the choice of the theme is most appropriate. I compliment MP-IDSA for taking the discussion on this subject forward with scholars, practitioners, defence researchers and industry representatives.
Friends, the character of warfare as well as technology has been changing in every era. From the discovery of gunpowder to the advent of aviation, from the dawn of radar to the age of cyber and space, each generation has witnessed its own technological revolution. It may be true that change feels faster today, but that is only a matter of scale and perception. Technology has always evolved, steadily, persistently, and, more often than not, for the better. What truly matters, therefore, is not just the pace of technological change, but the pace at which we are able to absorb and adapt to it.
When we speak of New-Age Technology in defence, it is natural that our minds first go to the disruptive changes in modern warfare including Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Quantum Computing, Swarm technologies, and so on. These are indeed transformative, and India and the world are making bold strides in each of these domains. But to truly interpret this theme, we must look beyond the obvious. I believe the power of technology is not limited to devices or algorithms. It lies in its all-encompassing nature, in the way it redefines every process, every system, and every decision that contributes to national security.
New-age technology is not just about what we fight with, but how we prepare, plan and sustain. It shapes our procurement processes, our logistics networks, our decision-framework, and even our training philosophies.
Therefore, when I think about this theme of harnessing technology, I interpret it as a call to re-imagine the entire defence ecosystem. Right from the spark of an idea in a research laboratory to its field validation in forward bases, from the flow of materials through our supply chains to the flow of intelligence through our command centres, technology must serve as the connective tissue that binds it all together. Whether it is designing a next-generation radar, forecasting logistics needs through predictive analytics, or shortening decision cycles through digital dashboards, each element must work in harmony with the others. In this sense, harnessing technology is not just about adding new tools. It is about transforming the very basis of our institutions. It is about making them more agile, anticipatory and adaptive. It is about creating a defence architecture that learns continuously, responds instantly, and evolves relentlessly in tune with the pace of change.
Friends, it is but natural to get swept up in the prevailing buzzwords of our times. But I believe that the real revolution lies in the quieter, continuous improvement of systems that enable faster, cleaner, and more transparent functioning. A high-speed data link or an AI-driven algorithm will achieve little if our internal processes remain slow. Even the promise of quantum computing or autonomous systems will remain unrealised if we do not build the human and institutional capacity to absorb and apply them effectively. The spirit of harnessing new technology must extend to the way we design policy, process information, and make decisions.
In that sense, technology is not only a tool but a culture. It is a way of doing things better, faster, and more intelligently. It is about ensuring that data moves faster than doubt, that decision-making is informed by evidence, and that the soldier, the scientist, and the civil servant all work in synergy through shared platforms.
Much of our defence readiness today rests on what might be called invisible technologies which include secure data architectures, encrypted networks, automated maintenance systems, and interoperable databases. These may not capture public imagination like a new aircraft or missile or warship, but they determine whether the right equipment reaches the right place at the right time, whether commanders have real-time visibility, and whether systems talk to each other seamlessly.
Friends, as I said, technology is not confined to weapons or platforms alone. It also resides in systems that make our institutions work faster, more transparently, and more intelligently. The true test of technological advancement lies not only in what we create, but in how we function. Technology must be seen not only as a force multiplier but also as a resource optimiser. The true measure of its impact lies in how efficiently it helps us plan, prioritise, and perform. One area which can serve as an example to internalise this thinking is our capital procurement process. This is because we operate in an environment of finite resources and expanding responsibilities. Every rupee spent and every system inducted must therefore yield the maximum strategic value. Technology and data analytics must be leveraged to improve decision-making and ensure optimal use of every resource. I have been told that in many advanced nations, the concept of life-cycle cost is deeply woven into their procurement frameworks. Recently, I have directed that we too must begin to assess these sustenance costs right at the inception stage of every procurement proposal. This will help us see the full picture, not only what we invest today, but what we must sustain tomorrow. This will help us in ensuring that every decision we take is both informed and responsible, balancing immediate capability with long-term efficiency.
I am confident that there exist many more such global best practices or “process technologies” that can further strengthen our systems. My advice to the Armed Forces would be to remain in a constant state of curiosity and always on the lookout for best practices across the world, not just in technology related to equipment, but also the new technologies related to the aspects of training, logistics, planning, and management systems. This institute can play a crucial role in this endeavour by studying, documenting, and disseminating such practices, and helping the Services adapt them to our national context. In fact, if given a choice, it is far better to import best practices than to import the best equipment. Because once we perfect the process and once our systems are robust, adaptive, and transparent, we will not merely purchase excellence from abroad, we can produce it here at home.
And that, friends, brings us to the heart of the matter. Ultimately, the real challenge before any nation is to build systems and ecosystems that make the creation as well as adoption of new technology natural, swift, and self-sustaining. If our foundations are strong, our institutions agile, our minds open, and our collaboration seamless, then every new technological wave will not overwhelm us. It will propel us. We will not merely adapt to revolutions made elsewhere, but become the architects of revolutions born here.
Therefore, for India, the path ahead is clear. We must move decisively from technology adoption to technology leadership. We can no longer be content with merely catching up to global innovation. We must aim to set the pace and shape the future. Our strength lies not in any single institution, but in our ecosystem of talent, ideas, and partnerships. We have a young and inventive workforce, full of imagination and purpose. We have a vibrant start-up culture that is unafraid to experiment, to take risks, and to challenge convention. Our defence-industrial base is expanding with renewed confidence and clarity of direction. The synergy between DRDO, our Armed Forces, industry, and academia is deepening and creating a virtuous cycle of research, testing, field feedback, and innovation.
We must continue to nurture the culture of innovation, by giving our scientists and start-ups both, the freedom to imagine and the support to deliver, by encouraging collaboration over silos, and speed over procedural inertia. Technology leadership does not emerge from isolated brilliance, it grows from a national ecosystem that rewards ideas, tolerates failures, and celebrates breakthroughs.
Friends, in the past, the defence and government agencies drove technological initiatives with their spinoff benefits percolating into society. The internet is one such example. Increasingly, technological innovation is being driven by the commercial world and defence and government agencies are adapting such technologies subsequently. The technology is increasingly being democratised. It is encouraging to note the drive and enthusiasm of the Indian commercial industry towards enhancing the nation’s technological threshold. Initiatives like iDEX and the Technology Development Fund are already nurturing a new generation of innovators who see national defence not merely as a sector of employment, but as a mission of national service. They are the architects of a future where cutting-edge technologies from autonomous systems and quantum sensors to advanced materials and space-based surveillance will bear the imprint of Indian ingenuity. From young entrepreneurs, MSMEs to captains of Indian multinationals, individuals and companies have displayed the collective will to help achieve the mission of Viksit Bharat and Atmanirbharta.
Friends, Atmanirbharta, in the digital age goes beyond manufacturing systems within our borders. It extends to digital sovereignty which means control over the algorithms, data, and chips that power our platforms. True strategic autonomy will come only when our code is as indigenous as our hardware. We are therefore encouraging secure, indigenous software stacks, trusted semiconductor supply chains, and home-grown AI models trained on Indian data. This is not merely about security as much it is about confidence. Confidence that every byte, every beam, and every bot we deploy is aligned with our strategic objectives. And yet, amidst all the excitement about machines and algorithms, we must remember that technology ultimately serves the human. It is not meant to replace human judgement but to amplify it. I think we must also invest in the ethical, psychological, and legal dimensions of these emerging technologies. India, as a civilisational power, can and must lead the conversation on responsible and humane use of military technology.
Friends, in conclusion, I would like to say that Harnessing New-Age Technology for Defence Capability Development is not merely about upgrading our arsenal, it is about transforming our entire approach to national security. Technology, for us, should not be an end in itself. Rather, it should be an instrument of efficiency, of integration, and of empowerment. It is about turning processes into platforms and systems into ecosystems. It is about ensuring that every investment in technology enhances not only our capability, but also our credibility and confidence as a nation. It must make our forces faster in decision, sharper in response, and stronger in outcome. It must help us use every rupee, every resource, and every idea more intelligently.
Our task, therefore, is not only to acquire new technologies but to create the conditions where technology can thrive, through sound processes, agile institutions, and a spirit of collaboration that unites the soldier, the scientist, the start-up and the strategist. That is how India will move from being a consumer of technology to a creator of technology and from adapting to technological revolutions made elsewhere, to shaping revolutions born here.
Friends, before I end my address, I extend my very best wishes to all participants of the Delhi Defence Dialogue 2025. I wish you productive deliberations to better understand our technological goals and means to achieve them. Once again, I extend my heartiest compliments and congratulations to the MP-IDSA team for organising such a vibrant event.
Thank you!!
Jai Hind.