Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has strongly urged companies to invest in emerging technologies, stressing that indigenous innovation is the key to shaping the nation’s future. He emphasised that a country which possesses its own technology holds the power to determine its destiny.

Speaking at a DRDO-Industry meeting on Tuesday, the minister announced a series of initiatives aimed at lowering technical and financial barriers for deep-tech Start-Ups and smaller companies. These include incubation support and access to testing and certification facilities, designed to encourage participation in advanced defence innovation.

He declared that companies investing in new and emerging technologies today will become the leaders of tomorrow. He explained that in future warfare, the nation that leads in technology will secure the strategic advantage, underlining the importance of technological dominance in modern conflicts.

A standardised framework for sharing DRDO-developed software source codes with industry was launched at the meeting. This initiative is intended to accelerate software-defined defence capabilities and ensure effective obsolescence management, thereby strengthening India’s defence technology ecosystem.

In addition, nine Licensing Agreements for Transfer of Technology were handed over to thirteen manufacturing partners. These agreements are expected to boost indigenous production and expand the industrial base in critical defence domains.

The minister also highlighted that collaboration between industry and DRDO should not remain confined to production alone.

He urged that cooperation must extend across the entire value chain, encompassing research, design, testing, certification, and manufacturing, thereby creating a holistic ecosystem for defence innovation.

Singh’s remarks come at a time when India is intensifying efforts to build self-reliance in defence technology. The government has already earmarked a significant portion of the defence R&D budget for private industry and academia, with DRDO transferring thousands of technologies to industry partners. 

These measures are intended to ensure that India remains at the forefront of technological advancement in defence.

His call for investment in emerging technologies reflects the government’s broader vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat in defence, where indigenous innovation and industry participation are seen as critical to securing strategic autonomy and future leadership.

Agencies