The Indian Air Force has underscored that India’s aerospace future depends on collective collaboration, indigenous innovation, and integration of advanced technologies, with self-reliance now seen as a national security imperative rather than just a developmental goal.

Air Marshal Sanjiv Ghuratia, Officer-in-Charge (Maintenance), Indian Air Force, addressed a workshop jointly organised by the IAF and the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers in New Delhi.

He stressed that no single organisation can achieve aerospace self-reliance independently. Instead, it requires collective efforts, trust, knowledge sharing, and a shared national vision.

He expressed gratitude to the Minister of State for Defence for supporting initiatives that strengthen indigenous defence manufacturing. These efforts, he said, are translating the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat into operational capabilities for the armed forces.

Speaking on the seminar’s theme, Sankalp, Air Marshal Ghuratia explained that the word represents determination and collective commitment towards self-reliance, indigenous development, and knowledge-based partnerships. He emphasised that indigenous innovation cannot succeed without strong partnerships between industry, academia, research institutions, certification agencies, and the armed forces.

He highlighted the changing nature of warfare, noting that emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, predictive maintenance, quantum technologies, and cyber resilience are already shaping modern military capabilities.

He warned that dependence on external supply chains for critical defence technologies poses strategic risks, making aerospace self-reliance a national security requirement.

Drawing from the teachings of the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, he said excellence in duty remains a guiding principle. For the Indian Air Force, excellence is reflected in operational readiness, engineering accuracy, and continuous innovation.

Air Marshal Ghuratia acknowledged the significant progress made by India’s defence manufacturing sector over the past decade.

However, he cautioned that challenges remain in achieving complete technological independence. He explained that strategic capability cannot always be measured by commercial parameters, as certain technologies must be developed purely for national security rather than market demand.

He pointed out that global aerospace advancements demonstrate how major breakthroughs occur when governments, defence forces, industry, and research institutions work together with a common strategic objective.

India, he said, already possesses all the necessary components for building a strong indigenous defence ecosystem. The key challenge now is integrating these capabilities into a unified framework to achieve technological sovereignty.

Recent developments reinforce this vision. The Indian Air Force has advanced with over sixty indigenous defence programs in partnership with DRDO and private industry, including the operational clearance of the Netra Airborne Early Warning and Control system and the launch of the AEW&C-MK-2 program with Adani Defence. These initiatives place India among a select group of nations with advanced airborne surveillance capabilities and highlight the growing role of private industry in defence innovation.

ANI