“India is aiming to become a drone hub of the world,” says Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at Delhi Defence Dialogue

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said that India is aiming to become a drone hub of the world and it would not only help the Indian economy but also significantly contribute to Make in India and the Atmanirbhar Bharat programme.

He was speaking at Delhi Defence Dialogue organised on theme “Adaptive Defence: Navigating the Changing Landscape of Modern Warfare” at Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.

He said the government has taken several initiatives to make India as drone hub of the world.

“We are already working to improve Research & Development thorough reliable certification mechanisms, and Indian Intellectual Property creation in this sector. Additionally, we have also introduced rewards for innovation through the schemes of iDEX and ADITI,” he said.

“Drones and swarm technologies are bringing fundamental changes in the ways and means of warfare. The development has changed the post-World War II understanding of warfare completely. The traditional notions and concepts of warfare in all three dimensions – land, air and water – have been rapidly changing. These dimensions are being seen as overlapping due to drone and swarm technology interventions”, he added.

On increasing defence exports the Raksha Mantri said, “We are also witnessing the fruits of our endeavour in the rising exports of defence items from India. Currently, India is already exporting defence items to over 100 nations, with the top three destinations for defence exports in 2023-24 being the USA, France, and Armenia. We hope to achieve the target of Rs 50,000 crores worth of defence exports by 2029.”

“India is committed to remain among the leading countries working on emerging Technologies in cyberspace and Artificial Intelligence. They have already issued the AI framework and guidelines for the DRDO projects and programmes. The system laboratories of the DRDO has AI technology groups to introduce AI features in all the products. There is an AI roadmap for each Defence Public Sector Undertaking,” he added.

“The Government of India is determined to employ adaptive defence strategies to counter the menace of information warfare against national security,” The Defence Minister further added.

Delhi Defence Dialogues is a flagship platform of MP-IDSA for addressing the multifaceted challenges of defence and security in India. As the landscape of warfare becomes increasingly complex, the platform is designed to discuss the evolving landscape of international security and defence strategies, with a focus on India’s defence. The dialogue aims to exchange views and foster collaboration among defence experts, policymakers, and military leaders. Further, as India navigates a complex geopolitical landscape, the DDD serves as a critical forum for addressing the need for a robust defence strategy that not only addresses immediate threats but also anticipates future challenges.