India needs to create an innovative ecosystem to boost research and development, which can enhance the defence sector in the face of changing warfare. These were the remarks of the Defence Minister of India, Rajnath Singh, as he addressed the Defence Accounts Department's 278th Foundation Day on Wednesday.
"Modern warfare is becoming more and more technology-oriented, which is unbelievable. These days, new technologies are used as a surprise element on a large scale in warfare. This creates a concerning situation for us as well. The modern technology used in modern warfare is based on years and years of research and development, and hence, we cannot ignore it," he said.
"It now demands that we prepare an innovative ecosystem that upgrades our defence sector. We all should work in that department. Things are changing around us, looking at them, the requirement in security is also increasing, and that is why the defence budget is also increasing year after year,” the defence minister added.
Since the defence budget of the country has been raised, it becomes the responsibility to use it wisely, Singh added.
Further mentioning the role of the Defence Accounts Department, he said, "I want to say that the need for research and development today poses a challenge to DAD, on how to manage the fund while funding the research and development as well."
"With increasing technology development fund and along with DRDO, we are working to increase technology development,” he added.
On Tuesday, speaking at the Tri-Services Seminar held in New Delhi, Singh assured complete support from the Ministry of Defence as he emphasised the need for greater integration and a standardised system for the Indian Army to respond effectively to cyberattacks, information warfare, and evolving security challenges.
"Our armed forces have developed audit systems over the years of experience... In today's era of integrated operations, it is crucial that these systems remain seamlessly interconnected. Working in isolation can pose a significant challenge to decision-making... An integrated system will also enhance the military's confidence... Today, we face the threat of cyberattacks and information warfare... We must set standards for these. When we talk about standardisation, it doesn't mean that the armed forces will lose their identity... We cannot impose the same procedure on every military... We must develop a system that coordinates the work of all three services... I am confident that we will discuss this. The Ministry of Defence will provide all possible support..." Singh said yesterday.
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