Daijiworld Media Network - Pune
Pune, Sep 12: Defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh has called for a major push in research and development (R&D) within India’s defence sector, warning that limited innovation and overdependence on the public sector are no longer sustainable in an evolving global security landscape.
Speaking at the Defence Tech 2025 Seminar – STRIDE in Pune, Singh said Operation Sindoor had served as a "reality check" for India’s armed forces, exposing vulnerabilities and highlighting the need for faster adaptation to modern warfare, including nuclear threats.
“Our current R&D spending stands at just 0.66% of GDP, with two-thirds of it coming from the public sector. That model cannot take us forward,” Singh said. He stressed that private sector involvement in defence R&D remains negligible, and this needs to change urgently.
To address the gap, Singh announced that the government will allocate 25% of DRDO’s Technology Development Fund (TDF) to private firms and startups. Over the past three years, about Rs 1,500 crore has already been shared with non-public players under this scheme. He also highlighted a Rs 1 lakh crore research fund set up under the Department of Science and Technology to boost innovation.
On the issue of indigenous procurement, Singh reiterated that India has committed to spending at least 75% of its defence budget domestically, revealing that in the last financial year, 81% of defence spending was made within the country.
Singh ruled out any immediate need to raise the defence budget, saying, “There are no financial constraints. The Finance Ministry is prepared to raise our capital expenditure by 10–15% annually, provided we use existing allocations efficiently.”
He also confirmed progress on a long-term collaboration with a global jet engine manufacturer, in partnership with DRDO, for indigenous fighter engine development—a process he said could take up to a decade. Efforts are also underway to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers for marine engines, Singh added.
The Defence Tech 2025 Seminar – STRIDE (Synergy of Technology, Research, Industry & Defence Ecosystem), hosted by the Southern Command of the Indian Army at RSAMI Pune, focused on boosting ‘Atmanirbharta’ (self-reliance) in defence through collaborative efforts between the armed forces, industry, and academia.
With the theme “Atmanirbharta through Partnership,” the event brought together key players to explore reverse engineering, industry-backed academic research, and DRDO’s role in fast-tracking disruptive technologies.
The seminar was attended by top military leadership including Lt. Gen Dhiraj Seth, GOC-in-C, Southern Command, and other senior officials from India’s defence ecosystem. Discussions centred around building a robust, self-sustaining defence industrial base and accelerating the development of indigenous systems to meet future national security challenges.