Defence Minister of India, Rajnath Singh, on Tuesday, inaugurated the Delhi Defence Dialogue on the theme “Harnessing New Age Technology for Defence Capability Development”. Addressing the defence officials, Rajnath called for transforming India from a consumer to a creator of technology. He then called upon the military to extend its approach of self-reliance to the digital domain for control over algorithms, data architectures and encrypted networks.
The dialogue is being conducted by IDSA India — Manohar Parrikar IDSA, New Delhi.
India must build agile institutions, strong systems and seamless collaboration among the soldier, scientist, start-up and strategist, cited the defence minister as per the official press release.
“Emphasising digital sovereignty and initiatives like iDEX & TDF, he said true autonomy lies in owning algorithms, data and chips that power defence platforms,” said the Ministry of Defence.
"True strategic autonomy will come only when our code is as indigenous as our hardware. We are encouraging secure, indigenous software stacks, trusted semiconductor supply chains, and home-grown AI models trained on Indian data. Amidst all the excitement about machines and algorithms, we must remember that technology is not meant to replace human judgement, but to amplify it," he said.
"We must also invest in the ethical, psychological, and legal dimensions of these emerging technologies. India, as a civilisational power, can and must lead the conversation on responsible and humane use of military technology," he said.
While Shri Rajnath Singh stressed on absorbing and adapting to disruptive technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Quantum Computing & Swarm Tech, he said the true test of advancement lies in how the apparatus functions, the press release cited.
“The power of technology is not limited to devices or algorithms; it lies in its all-encompassing nature - the way it redefines every process, system, and decision that contributes to national security. Harnessing technology is not just about adding new tools; it is about making our institutions more agile, anticipatory & adaptive, and creating a defence architecture that learns continuously, responds instantly & evolves relentlessly in tune with the pace of change,” Rajnath cited.
"In many advanced nations, the concept of life-cycle cost is deeply woven into their procurement frameworks. Recently, I have directed that we too must begin to assess these sustenance costs right at the inception stage of every procurement proposal," he said.
"This will help us see the full picture, not only what we invest today, but what we must sustain tomorrow," he said.
The defence minister also called for building systems and ecosystems that make the creation as well as adoption of new technology natural, swift and self-sustaining.
"If our foundations are strong, our institutions agile, our minds open, and our collaboration seamless, then every new technological wave will not overwhelm us. It will propel us," he said.
"We will not merely adapt to revolutions made elsewhere, but become the architects of revolutions born here." While Singh stressed on absorbing and adapting to disruptive technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning and quantum computing he said the true test of advancement lies in how the apparatus functions.
"The power of technology is not limited to devices or algorithms; it lies in its all-encompassing nature -- the way it redefines every process, system, and decision that contributes to national security." "Harnessing technology is not just about adding new tools; it is about making our institutions more agile, anticipatory and adaptive, and creating a defence architecture that learns continuously, responds instantly and evolves relentlessly in tune with the pace of change," he stated.
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