Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday called for greater indigenous production of critical defence equipment and technologies, stressing that India must develop the capacity to independently sustain its military capabilities and reduce dependence on foreign suppliers.

Addressing the third edition of the Delhi Defence Dialogue 2026 at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA) on November 3, he said ‘Aatmanirbharta’ must be viewed as a quest for technological sovereignty. He added that true self-reliance requires the ability to design, manufacture, upgrade and maintain defence platforms throughout their lifecycle.

Speaking on ‘Defence Reforms, Aatmanirbharta, Collaborations and Exports’, Singh described these four pillars as essential to India's vision of becoming Viksit Bharat by 2047. He said reforms should strengthen institutions, self-reliance should build domestic capabilities, collaborations should enable technology sharing, and exports should expand global competitiveness.

Highlighting changes in modern warfare, Singh said recent conflicts have shown that battlefields now extend beyond land, sea and air to space, cyberspace and digital platforms. He noted that relatively inexpensive drones and autonomous systems are challenging advanced military equipment. Rapid innovation, large-scale manufacturing and the ability to replenish military resources have become equally important.

The Defence Minister highlighted the Government's efforts over the past decade to strengthen domestic manufacturing through Defence Industrial Corridors and the corporatisation of the Ordnance Factory Board into seven Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs). He also called for greater private sector participation in programmes such as the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft, propulsion systems, ATAGS, artillery ammunition and shipbuilding.

He said reforms undertaken during 2025, observed as the Year of Reforms in the Ministry of Defence, focused on jointness, integration, emerging technologies and innovation. These efforts have helped defence production reach a record Rs 1.78 lakh crore in FY 2025-26, while exports increased to Rs 38,424 crore. Indian defence products now reach more than 80 countries.

Singh reiterated the Government's targets of achieving Rs 3 lakh crore in defence production and Rs 50,000 crore in defence exports by 2029. He called for expanding exports beyond equipment to include maintenance, repair, training, logistics and technology cooperation.

On research and development, he said the Defence Forces must contribute their operational experience while allowing researchers the freedom to explore unconventional ideas and emerging technologies. He stressed the need to move successful innovations from laboratories and prototypes to actual production and military use.

Addressing international partnerships, Singh said India's self-reliance ambitions do not mean withdrawing from global cooperation. He advocated stronger partnerships based on co-development, co-production and shared innovation, with Indian companies receiving access to critical technologies, intellectual property and global supply chains.

In his welcome address, MP-IDSA Director General Ambassador Sujan R Chinoy highlighted the dialogue's role in promoting discussions on defence reforms, indigenous capabilities, international partnerships and exports. He also referred to preparatory roundtables on propulsion systems and defence exports and the inaugural ASEAN-India Defence Think Tank Forum.

Organised on November 3 and 4, the two-day Delhi Defence Dialogue 2026 brings together policymakers, military representatives, industry leaders, academics and strategic experts to discuss India's defence priorities and international cooperation.