With change in nature of warfare, we need to adopt, improve solutions constantly: Rajnath Singh

Bengaluru: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said as the nature of warfare is changing rapidly, there is a need to adopt and improve solutions constantly, and efforts in defence manufacturing have to focus on creating counter measures for emerging areas.

Also, urging the CEOs of Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to come forward and utilise the opportunities offered by the expanding Indian defence ecosystem, he said, the opportunities are driven by our policies of ‘Aatmanirbharata’ or ‘self-reliance’ in defence production and facilitated by conducive policy regime.

The Defence Minister said this while addressing the CEOs Roundtable, as part of the 15th edition of Aero India Aero here.

"The essence of this conclave is, how to join hands to make India a leading defence manufacturer and service provider at the global scale. All this has to be viewed in the backdrop of the new technological revolutions such as Artificial Intelligence, Quantum technology and others," Singh said.

He said, "As the nature of warfare is changing rapidly, we need to adopt and improve solutions constantly.

"For example, the earlier reliance on pure hardware based systems is increasingly getting replaced by software based systems. Today, the nature of communication and data sharing in military operations are getting much more complex. Our reliance on space based navigation systems, space based communication and surveillance implies that space based assets would have to be integrated in our operational plans," he said.

Noting that the use of drones in recent conflicts indicates that the future would depend on the integrated efforts of manned, unmanned and autonomous warfare systems, the Defence Minister said, hence, our efforts in defence manufacturing have to focus on creating counter measures for these emerging areas.

Highlighting some of the challenges and concerns coming from the rapidly changing technological scenario in the defence sector, he said, all these challenges need specific targeted solutions and counter measures. "The Government of India not only is fully aware of these dynamics but also geared to deal with them. This is where we have put in place transparent regulations, processes and policies which are industry friendly." The 15th edition of Aero India, which is considered to be Asia's biggest aerospace and defence exhibition, was inaugurated by the Defence Minister at the Yelahanka Air Force Station here on Monday.

Self-reliance today is not only a strategic choice and opportunity, but a kind of compulsion too. These opportunities are fueled by a young generation of high-tech workforce, willing to undertake the plunge and a great startup ecosystem, Singh said.

"We have a large pool of human resources in the country. They are equipped with the required set of skills. The skilled youths constantly update themselves in the face of the fast-changing defence ecosystem in the world. At the same time, I also urge you all to come forward with your feedback, so that we can work on a better and more secure future together," he said.

In these challenging times, a period where the global security situation is fragile, where the rules-based order is being challenged and where technologies are creating new opportunities and vulnerabilities, this Round Table provides an opportunity to deliberate on these processes and technologies, the Defence Minister said.

"Brainstorming session like this would have a significant impact on how various initiatives are taken in future for national security, at the same time, showcasing the opportunities that India provides to be the hub for creating new technologies," he said.

A peculiarity of defence manufacturing is that the products of defence industrial systems are ordered by the government and also used by the government, he further said, "also, only the government can give license to manufacture or export them. Hence, there is a continuous involvement of the government at every stage of this process."

Pointing out that the government has taken numerous initiatives over the last few years under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to strengthen domestic defence manufacturing, the Defence Minister said, it is going to be a major growth pillar for the Indian economy, as we chart the path of fastest growing major economy of the world, and are speeding-up to become the third largest economy of the world.

"In order to facilitate this transition from a developing country to a developed country by 2047, the government has taken many transformative steps to make our defence industry an important component of the overall national economy," he said.

Singh also said as a testimony to the emergence of India as a defence export nucleus, the country has seen 31 times growth in the export of defence products in the last 10 years as compared to Financial Year 2013-14.

We have continuously revised and updated our defence product lists with the aim to encourage more players to enter defence production. The issuance of Positive Indigenisation List is a clear indication of our intent to support the industry in India’s efforts for self-reliance, he said.

The overall ease of doing business environment also has improved tremendously. The initiatives of the government are showing great results and is evident as India has the 3rd largest startup ecosystem in the world today; this is expected to witness Year-on-Year growth of 10-12 per cent, he said.

"You must not miss the opportunity to leverage the advantages of this vibrant ecosystem," he told the CEOs.