The Defence Minister exhorts the need for developing high-end tech indigenously to realise the vision of Viksit Bharat
“Cutting-edge tech must establish an edge in modern-day warfare,” said Rajnath Singh to youth at the 65th Foundation Day of IIT Kanpur
MoUs exchanged between IIT Kanpur, DPSUs and other stakeholders at the Foundation Day
Lucknow, NFAPost: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called upon Indian youth to indigenously develop high-end technologies, which the country imports, to realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat. He was addressing the 65th Foundation Day celebrations at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur on Saturday.
The Defence Minister described ‘technology’ as the biggest factor behind the rapid changes taking place in every field today, with countries competing to master niche tech, such as Artificial Intelligence, to establish an edge in the current geopolitical scenario.
“Based on technological developments, there are three groups of countries – the first are at the pinnacle in advanced tech; the second have reached a stagnant state and the third are at a stage of technological take-off,” said Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Placing India in the third group, Rajnath Singh stated that the nation is today surging towards the top position in technological advancements. He stressed on the need to get a hold on high-end technology, urging the young ignited minds to realise their potential and contribute to the country’s progress. He termed institutions like IIT Kanpur as academic engines, which can provide a dynamism to India in the present competitive environment, and place it among the first set of countries.
Highlighting the increasing role of technology in the defence ecosystem across the globe amidst ongoing conflicts, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the use of drones, laser warfare, cyber warfare, precision-guided missiles and hypersonic missiles has transformed warfare into a technology-oriented one.
“The biggest hurdle in achieving ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence is that we are compelled to import some high-end technologies necessary for our items. There is a need to focus on defence application of modern cutting-edge technologies in view of the changing nature of warfare,” he added.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh assured the government’s full support in this endeavour and reiterated the commitment to take all stakeholders, including the private sector and academia, together to make India self-reliant in defence.
“India has dreamed of becoming a developed nation by 2047 on the strength of our youth. We must put in all our power to realise that dream. There is a proverb, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. We need to walk together to achieve our target,” said Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Enumerating the steps taken by the government to promote self-reliance and innovation in defence, The Defence Minister spoke about the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative which provides a grant of Rs 1.5 crore to innovators and start-ups.
He added that Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX (ADITI) scheme was launched to promote innovations in critical and strategic defence technologies, wherein start-ups are eligible to receive grant-in-aid of up to Rs 25 crore for their research, development, and innovation endeavours in defence technology.
“The Government’s efforts of achieve self-reliance are yielding desired results as the defence exports, which were around just Rs 600 crore ten years ago, crossed a record number of Rs 21,000 crore in Financial Year 2023-24. I am confident that the progress will continue and defence exports will reach Rs 50,000 crore by 2029-30,” said Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
He also pointed out that manufacturing a technology involves three major steps—ideation, application, and production—and institutions like IIT Kanpur can play a big role in incubating ideas and creating products. He underscored the importance of developing products and technologies that become a necessity for the Armed Forces once they are developed.
As part of the celebrations, IIT Kanpur hosted a special event on defence innovation, aligning with the vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’. Rajnath Singh visited a Defence Research, Product, and Incubation Showcase organised by the Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC) at IIT Kanpur, which highlighted pioneering solutions from 23 SIIC-incubated startups, presenting advancements in defence technology such as autonomous systems, AI-driven surveillance, and next-generation communication tools. The Union Minister also engaged with startup founders and research teams at the exhibition stalls, commending their contributions to enhance national security.
Several MoUs were also signed to strengthen partnerships, including IIT Kanpur’s collaborations with BEML and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to drive advancements in military logistics & defence innovation, and a partnership with Kanpur University to strengthen incubation efforts.
Secretary of DDR&D and DRDO Chairman Dr Samir V Kamat presented sanction letters for six transformative DRDO projects, while SIDBI’s Matching Offer for iDEX-funded startups further boosted essential funding support.
The event also included key discussions on the country’s latest defence initiatives, such as iDEX’s Defence India Startup Challenge 12 and ADITI 2.0 Challenges, which provided attendees with valuable insights into the defence innovation landscape. A commemorative tree plantation, led by Rajnath Singh, symbolised IIT Kanpur’s enduring legacy in technological and defence advancement and commitment to sustainability.
Defence Production Secretary Sanjeev Kumar, Department of Defence R&D Secretary and DRDO Chairman Dr Samir V Kamat, IIT Kanpur Director Prof Manindra Agrawal, SIIC Professor-in-Charge Prof Deepu Philip, students and distinguished alumni of the institute attended the event.
