India must leapfrog in defence technology, not insist on making everything at home: Air Marshal Tejinder Singh
New Delhi: As wars become longer, more technologically intensive and increasingly unpredictable, India must rethink the way it builds military capabilities, with greater emphasis on technological leapfrogging, indigenous research and development, and collaboration with foreign partners, Air Marshal Tejinder Singh, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff, said at the Defence Dialogue on Tuesday.
Pointing to the changing character of modern warfare, he said conflicts that were once expected to last weeks were now extending into years, placing unprecedented pressure on ammunition stocks, supply chains and defence production capabilities. Artillery shells were being consumed at a much faster rate, while drones were being manufactured and deployed in numbers that would have been difficult to imagine until recently.
Highlighting the changing cost dynamics of warfare, he cited the example of a first-person-view (FPV) drone costing around $500 being capable of destroying a radar system worth millions of dollars, while expensive missiles were sometimes being used to intercept relatively inexpensive drones.
These developments, he said, underline the need for militaries to adapt quickly to emerging technologies and rethink conventional approaches to defence preparedness.
Referring to Operation Sindoor, Air Marshal Singh said the operation demonstrated the importance of indigenous defence capabilities, with Indian-designed and manufactured systems playing an important role. The experience, he said, had further strengthened the resolve to accelerate India’s defence manufacturing ambitions.
India’s defence production touched a record Rs 1.78 lakh crore in 2025-26, nearly four times the level recorded in 2013-14. The private sector accounted for 24 per cent of total production, its highest-ever contribution. Defence exports also reached Rs 38,424 crore in the previous financial year, registering a 62 per cent increase, he said.
Indian defence equipment is now reaching more than 80 countries. The expanding manufacturing base includes warships such as “Visakhapatnam-class destroyers and Nilgiri-class frigates, the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, Kalvari-class submarines, artillery guns, the Zorawar light tank, long-range rocket systems, Advanced Light Helicopters, Light Combat Helicopters, Tejas aircraft and a range of air defence systems and missiles.”
India is also manufacturing C-295 transport aircraft in collaboration with a foreign partner, reflecting the importance of international partnerships in building domestic capabilities.
However, Air Marshal Singh cautioned that the increase in defence exports should be viewed in the context of the sources of growth. A significant portion of the recent rise has come from large public-sector contracts. A more durable indicator of India’s export strength would be the ability of private-sector companies to secure and execute substantial defence export orders.
He welcomed the export of the BrahMos missile system to the Philippines, noting that “Manila was making a case for an additional order and was also exploring the possibility of acquiring Akash missile systems.”
At the same time, he pointed to continuing areas of vulnerability in India’s defence manufacturing ecosystem, particularly its dependence on foreign suppliers for critical technologies. Fighter aircraft engines remain one such area, with the Tejas programme facing challenges linked to the supply of GE F404 engines.
Technology leapfrogging and the case for collaboration
Explaining the challenges before India’s ambition of Atmanirbharta in defence, Air Marshal Singh said the most significant challenge was the extraordinary pace at which technology was evolving.
Over the last decade and a half, the technology curve had risen exponentially, making it imperative for India to keep pace rather than rely exclusively on conventional methods of developing every capability domestically.
“If we insist on making everything ourselves in the interest of sovereignty, we may not be able to catch up,” he indicated, stressing that international collaboration would be essential for technological leapfrogging.
He also called for greater participation by the private sector in defence research and development, including a re-examination of the role of DRDO and the possibility of transferring or opening up more areas of development to private industry.
India, he said, must develop an ecosystem in which public-sector institutions, private manufacturers, research organisations and international partners work together to accelerate technological development.
Design authority, not just indigenous labels
Air Marshal Singh said self-reliance in defence should not be measured merely by the extent of domestic manufacturing or by whether a platform carries an Indian label.
The most important test for any weapon system, he said, was whether India possessed its design authority — the ability to modify, upgrade and integrate new technologies into the system independently.
Citing the Tejas, Jaguar and Russian-origin aircraft manufactured in India, he said the Indian Air Force had acquired the ability to upgrade several of its platforms because it possessed the necessary design authority.
He cautioned against being satisfied merely because an aircraft, submarine or other military platform was manufactured in India. The critical components and subsystems underneath the platform could still leave the country dependent on foreign suppliers.
The objective, he said, must be to ensure that an indigenous weapon system is not held hostage by a foreign subsystem.
At the same time, he cautioned against becoming dogmatic about self-reliance.
He also emphasised the importance of commonality and standardisation across defence systems, which would help improve operational efficiency, maintenance and production scalability.
Surge capacity and the ability to sustain a prolonged conflict
Air Marshal stressed that surge capacity and sustainment were directly linked to India’s ability to export defence equipment, as a stronger manufacturing base would allow the country to divert production towards domestic military requirements whenever necessary.
AI, sovereign models and the next phase of military modernisation
Turning to emerging technologies, Air Marshal Singh said India was making progress in areas such as semiconductor design and artificial intelligence.
On the debate over whether India should rely on foreign large language models or develop sovereign alternatives, he suggested that the answer lay in pursuing both approaches.
He referred to the recent memorandum of understanding with Sarvam AI and said work was underway to develop sovereign AI models for the armed forces.
The three services were embedding artificial intelligence not merely to improve routine efficiency and training, but also to strengthen decision support and intelligence collation.
He said the armed forces had “finalised the Integrated Capability Development Plan, a 10-year document prepared by the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff, which was currently with the Ministry of Defence for approval.”
“The roadmap for Mission Sudarshan Chakra had also been finalised and was under deliberation at the Ministry of Defence.” These two initiatives, he said, would serve as the principal pillars guiding India’s future capability development, defence manufacturing, exports and research and development.
The 2030, 2035 and 2047 milestones
Outlining India’s future defence priorities, Air Marshal Singh said the immediate focus, up to 2030, should be to build capabilities to address contingencies similar to a possible Operation Sindoor 2.0.
This would require a strong emphasis on drones, counter-drone systems, air defence and counter-air-defence capabilities.
Between 2030 and 2032, India would work towards addressing a broader range of capability requirements, with the detailed blueprint for Mission Sudarshan Chakra expected to guide procurement and research and development.
“By 2035, India should aim to achieve breakthroughs in critical core technologies, particularly fighter aircraft engines and propulsion systems. The year 2035 was also the target for Mission Sudarshan Chakra, with at least some of its components expected to be in place by then.”
He emphasised that financial resources were not the principal constraint, noting that the government had made its commitment to funding defence modernisation clear.
Looking towards 2047, the ambition was to have Indian defence forces operating on the strength of indigenous systems, with Indian designs reaching the global technological frontier.
The aspiration, he indicated, was to move beyond producing individual components and smaller systems to developing complete defence platforms that could compete at the highest global levels.
The larger message from his address was that India’s defence self-reliance cannot be measured simply by how much equipment it manufactures domestically. It will ultimately depend on whether the country can design, modify, upgrade, produce and sustain its own military systems while keeping pace with the rapid transformation of warfare.