India must become global hub for drone making: Rajnath
Underlining the important role played by drone and anti-drone technology in the ongoing Iran-Israel and Russia-Ukraine conflicts, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said India must develop a robust ecosystem for drone manufacturing.
Making this assertion in his address at the National Defence Industries Conclave, he also said: “For India’s defence preparedness and strategic autonomy, it is essential that India becomes fully self-reliant in drone manufacturing.”
“As the entire world watches the ongoing conflict involving Russia and Ukraine, along with Iran-Israel, we can clearly see the extremely significant role of drones and counter-drone technologies in future warfare,” Rajnath Singh said.
“Today, there is a need to build such a drone manufacturing ecosystem in India in which we are completely self-reliant,” he said.
The conclave was attended by top executives of leading domestic defence manufacturing firms as well as officials of defence public sector undertakings.
The defence minister also touched upon the growing significance of artificial intelligence, robotics and other new and critical technologies.
“In today’s era, innovations such as automation, artificial intelligence and robotics are transforming manufacturing across the world. Alongside these, simulation technology is also opening up new possibilities,” he said.
Rajnath Singh also called upon industry leaders to focus on improving the quality of their products. “This self-reliance is necessary not only at the product level but also at the component level. That is, from the drone’s mould to the software, engine and batteries, all should be made in India,” he said.
“This task is not easy because in most countries where drones are made, many critical components are imported from a specific country,” the defence minister added.
“India must work in a mission mode to emerge as a global hub of indigenous drone manufacturing in the next few years,” he said while stressing self-reliance in view of the present geopolitical uncertainties.
Rajnath Singh added that while the creation of any nation’s defence industrial ecosystem relies on the contributions of large industries, MSMEs, start-ups, and innovators, it is equally driven by a clear policy push from the Government, tailored to meet the country’s specific defence requirements.
Rajnath Singh emphasised that MSMEs are today actively engaged in fields such as Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Automation, and Advanced Manufacturing, representing a monumental and positive transformation.
He termed it as imperative for the MSMEs and start-ups to embrace and integrate these technologies to ensure the optimal utilisation of their resources and capabilities. The defence minister also said ‘integration’ is another crucial concept for the enhancement of MSME capabilities.
Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman, DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat and other senior officials were present on the occasion.
