Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan has underlined the need for a technologically empowered, self-reliant and future-ready Indian Navy, stressing that indigenous solutions and next-generation technologies will play a decisive role in strengthening India's maritime defence capabilities.

Speaking about the Navy's growing drive towards self-reliance, the Admiral highlighted the importance of Swavlamban, the service's flagship initiative focused on innovation, indigenisation and Aatmanirbharta. Since its launch in July 2022, the event has evolved into a major national platform linking operational military requirements with India's technological and industrial ecosystem.

"Swavlamban is the Indian Navy's flagship event for innovation, indigenisation, and self-reliance," he said.

The initiative has expanded rapidly in a relatively short period. Participation has increased from around 800 attendees during the inaugural edition to nearly 3,000 participants by 2025, reflecting rising interest from industry, academia, innovators, investors and the wider defence technology community.

Admiral Swaminathan emphasised that technological superiority will increasingly define success in future conflicts and that many of the innovations likely to shape tomorrow's battlefield are already being developed across India.

"The technologies that will shape tomorrow's battlefield are being created today in laboratories, universities, and Start-Ups across the country," he said.

He explained that Swavlamban serves as a bridge between the Indian Navy's operational needs and the capabilities of India's scientific and entrepreneurial community.

"At its heart, Swavlamban has a simple purpose: to connect the Indian Navy's operational requirements with the ingenuity, creativity, enterprise, and excellence of India's scientists, engineers, innovators, and entrepreneurs," he said.

According to the Navy chief, the initiative has become an important mechanism for transforming indigenous ideas into deployable capabilities, helping ensure that maritime security requirements can increasingly be met through domestic innovation rather than overseas dependence.

He added that Swavlamban 2026 would deepen collaboration between the Navy and India's innovation ecosystem, creating additional opportunities for local innovators to directly contribute to future naval capabilities and the broader national objective of self-reliance.

"Swavlamban 2026 will take this partnership even further, creating more opportunities for Indian innovators to contribute directly to the Indian Navy's future capabilities and to India's larger journey towards Atmanirbharta.

The event is a reaffirmation of our national resolve to build a stronger, more secure, and technologically empowered Bharat, whose defence preparedness rests firmly on its own strength," Swaminathan said.

Swavlamban 2026, carrying the theme Ideas to Impact, is scheduled to be held in New Delhi on 26 and 27 October. The event is expected to bring together the armed forces, industry, Start-Ups, MSMEs, academia and investors to explore technological solutions that can strengthen India's maritime preparedness and defence self-reliance.

The seminar is also expected to focus on emerging and disruptive technologies, including artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, autonomous systems and hypersonic technologies, with discussions centred on their potential military and naval applications.

A thematic exhibition will showcase indigenous innovations spanning maritime surveillance, counter-unmanned aerial systems, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, safety solutions and operational efficiency enhancements. The exhibition will also highlight successful examples of Indian-developed products progressing from concept stage to operational use.

The broader objective remains aligned with the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, with the Indian Navy seeking to accelerate the transition from home-grown innovation to operational capability while strengthening domestic supply chains, encouraging academic entrepreneurship and supporting the growth of promising Indian Start-Ups.

Through Swavlamban 2026, the Navy aims not only to enhance future combat readiness but also to reinforce India's long-term ambition of becoming a technologically advanced maritime power whose defence preparedness is increasingly built upon indigenous expertise, innovation and industrial strength.

ANI