Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Nov 3: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said modern warfare had undergone a "fundamental transformation", with battlefields no longer confined to land, sea and air but extending to space, cyberspace and the digital domain.
Addressing the 'Delhi Defence Dialogue 2026', Singh stressed the need for comprehensive reforms in the defence sector, highlighting self-reliance, collaboration and exports as key pillars of India's defence transformation.
"Reforms represent our willingness to change. 'Atmanirbharata' (self-reliance) represents our determination to create. Collaborations represent our confidence to partner with the world, and exports represent our readiness to compete with the world," he said.
Cautioning that self-reliance alone would not be sufficient, the Defence Minister said it must be supported by reforms, collaboration and exports to achieve its full potential.
"Self-reliance without collaboration may limit our technological horizons, and self-reliance without exports may not achieve the scale and competitiveness that a modern defence industry requires. Together, these four elements define the transformation we seek in India's defence ecosystem," he said.
Singh observed that recent conflicts across the world had demonstrated how the character of warfare was changing rapidly, with the distinction between conventional and unconventional warfare becoming increasingly blurred.
He also pointed to a transformation in the economics of warfare, noting that relatively inexpensive drones and autonomous systems could challenge sophisticated and costly military platforms.
"The ability to innovate rapidly, manufacture at scale, and replenish capabilities has become as important as possessing advanced weapon systems," he said.
Emphasising the link between military preparedness and industrial strength, Singh said the defence capabilities of a nation in the 21st century could not be separated from its technological and manufacturing preparedness.
"A nation's defence strength must increasingly rest on its ability to develop technology, manufacture critical equipment, and sustain its capabilities independently. Such capabilities do not emerge merely through investments in technology and manufacturing," he said.
"They require the right institutional environment, enabling policies and responsive processes," he added, stressing that this was where defence sector reforms became critical.
According to Singh, the objective of reforms was to establish and strengthen institutions, processes and capabilities that could respond effectively to the country's requirements.
The Defence Minister said India had made considerable progress over the past decade in strengthening its domestic defence industrial base through a series of reforms.
He cited the establishment of defence industrial corridors to expand domestic manufacturing capabilities and the corporatisation of the erstwhile Ordnance Factory Board into seven Defence Public Sector Undertakings to improve autonomy, efficiency and competitiveness in defence production.
The government was also encouraging greater participation of private industry in developing and manufacturing advanced defence platforms and systems, he said.
Singh said opportunities for private industry in programmes involving the advanced medium combat aircraft, propulsion systems, attacks, artillery ammunition and shipbuilding would accelerate indigenous development, expand manufacturing capacity and strengthen India's position in the global defence market.
"These initiatives are creating opportunities for wider participation by private industry, MSMEs, start-ups, and academia. Building on these efforts, 2025 was observed as a year of reforms in the Ministry of Defence, with particular emphasis on jointness, integration, emerging technologies, innovation, and strengthening our domestic defence industrial ecosystem," he said.
The Union Minister added that the government had initiated reforms across policies, institutional structures, technology development, acquisition procedures and ease of doing business.