New Delhi:

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has asked industry leaders in private defence manufacturing and related services to give ideas for ensuring strong growth of the sector.

Mr Singh said India’s private sector in defence manufacturing has grown tremendously in recent years.

“No doubt, confidence in the private sector has increased. Whatever suggestions we get from the private sector, we look at them properly. The government never hesitates to take steps needed to meet those suggestions,” Mr Singh said at the first edition of NDTV Defence Summit on Thursday.

“Whenever I go to such conferences, I meet a wide range of industry leaders, talk to them. I see that they express everything is fine in front of me, but I tell them if they have any new suggestion, or need something that can promote their industry, fulfil the nation’s requirements, or increase exports, I welcome them,” the Defence Minister told NDTV’s Editor-In-Chief Sanjay Pugalia.

Mr Singh said the nation’s armed forces are always prepared for war and ready to respond strongly to any challenge, against the backdrop of a border row with China and concerns over Chinese aggression in the Indian Ocean Region.

“We have to be ready for war at all times… even in peacetime. We have to be ready,” he added.

He also spoke about the government’s focus on an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, or a self-reliant India, when considering the defence sector. “In 2014, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government came to power, we put the defence sector as our main priority. Atmanirbharta, or self-reliance, was encouraged… we introduced many make-in-India initiatives and our focus was on military modernisation,” Mr Singh said.

The NDTV Defence Summit 2024 brought together thought leaders, policymakers, and industry experts to discuss, collaborate, and strategise on the pressing issues facing our world today. This year’s summit, the first of an annual series, focused on the theme of ‘Unleashing India’s Defence Potential’, recognising the dynamic challenges and opportunities that define our global security landscape.

New Delhi:

Boeing is one of the top aerospace firms that have been sourcing components and services in a massive scale from India, a top executive of the American company said at the first edition of NDTV Defence Summit.

At the session on international firms in India, who are the partners in atmanirbharta or self-reliance in the defence sector, Boeing Defense Vice President of India Business Development, Alain Garcia, highlighted the company’s long association with India that has developed into a strong relationship.

“We source $1.25 billion worth components and services from India every year,” Mr Garcia, Vice President, India Business Development, Boeing Defense, Space and Security and Global Services, said at the NDTV Defence Summit.

The NDTV Defence Summit 2024 brought together thought leaders, policymakers, and industry experts to discuss, collaborate, and strategise on the pressing issues facing our world today. This year’s summit, the first of an annual series, focused on the theme of ‘Unleashing India’s Defence Potential’, recognising the dynamic challenges and opportunities that define our global security landscape.

The geopolitical landscape is facing unprecedented changes and today nations have shown the willingness to use hard power, the Chief of Army Staff, General Manoj Pande, said at the maiden NDTV Defence Summit today.

The Army chief said the centrality of national interest and the growing salience of national security in the international system are distinctly visible. Today Nations have shown willingness to resort to the use of heart power to secure their interest. A situation of return to conflict to achieve political and military objectives., adding that “While conventional warfare has gone under changes, emerging technologies today are not central only to rich nations. Disruptive technology is transforming warfare.” 

Asymmetry In Warfare

Access to modern technologies is not limited to superpowers but non-state actors can access such technology. The asymmetry in conflict has increased the risk of a fallout with an increased propensity of risk-taking behaviour to initiate a low-threshold armed conflict, the army chief said.

General Pande said, “Our legacy challenges of unsettled borders continue and newer threats in the spectrum of conflict have added complexity and the grey zone actions and aggressions from adversaries are manifesting across domains – Land, sea, and air.”

Army’s Vision For Future

General Pande stressed the fact that we need to secure our national interest and the focus should be on possessing capabilities that require continuous progression. Highlighting the vision of the Army, the COAS said, the Indian Army, a large land-based force, has to transform into an agile, future-ready force that can operate in a multi-domain environment and have synergy with other forces. These elements are important for the force to be future-ready.

The Army Chief said, “Swadeshikaran (indigenisation) se sashaktikaran (empowerment)” is a work in progress. All sectors have a crucial role to play. It is essential to develop core competencies.

Aatmanirbharta or self-reliance in defence manufacturing and procurement has been a vision as well as a goal of governments. The Indigenous defense industry is critical for war-fighting capability. The Army Chief said the disruption in the supply chain in the Russia-Ukraine conflict has highlighted how wars can disrupt in supply of technology and weapons and it also entails the risk that nations may not transfer critical technology. To pursue our aspirations, self-reliance is important and sustenance of the existing ones is necessary too. 

The transformational nature of war hybridization of threats and the emergence of cyber war has brought the focus on the development of safeguarding platforms with technology.

Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Cyber biotechnology, and space – It is essential to harness these technologies and use them in defense, the Army Chief said, adding that our technological prowess has been a driver for global tech. The government has taken initiatives to promote an effective ecosystem in the country that enables simplification of industry in licensing, foreign investment, and Research and Development projects. The establishment of defence corridors and others are such steps.

New Delhi:

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh acknowledged the role of the media in highlighting shortcomings of the government, which helps in taking corrective steps.

At the ‘NDTV Defence Summit 2024’, Mr Singh said the government and the media are two important parts of society.

“Whenever we come up with a scheme, the media highlights both its merits and demerits. Whenever the media highlights any demerit, this government acknowledges it and tries to rectify it,” Mr Singh said.

He said the media and the government have to catch the pulse of “social consensus”. Giving an example, Mr Singh cited the US government’s view of China as a threat, and how the American media also see China from the same view.

“The government works towards the direction where its people expect it to go,” the Defence Minister said.