INDIA’S bid for ‘Aatmanirbharta’ must be understood as a quest for technological sovereignty, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday, asserting that self-reliance means ensuring critical defence requirements are not held hostage to external dependencies. In his address at the Delhi Defence Dialogue hosted here by a think-tank, Singh also underlined the importance of technology in warfare, and said military preparedness in the 21st century cannot be separated from technological preparedness. “As we set our eyes on 2047, our aim in the defence sector should be ambitious,” he said. The Defence Minister also asserted that the difference between conventional and unconventional warfares is “becoming increasingly blurred” today.

 

The dialogue, hosted by Delhibased Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), brought together senior officers from the Defence Ministry, domain experts from the country and abroad, and industry representatives. “Aatmanirbharta must be understood as a quest for technological sovereignty. It does not mean producing everything ourselves.” “It means ensuring that our critical defence requirements are not held hostage to external dependencies,” the Defence Minister said. He also cautioned that selfreliance without collaboration may “limit our technological horizons”, and said Aatmanirbharta should strengthen indigenous capabilities and facilitate co-development. Speaking at a different sesion the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee, Air Marshal Tejinder Singh, underlined that “Aatmanirbharta is not just a slogan” as much has been done in the defence sector, and hoped that more will be done in the area to harness its full potential.