Rajnath Singh calls for ‘Aatmanirbharta 2.0’, emphasizes advanced technology and resilient supply chains

Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh releases the ‘Swavlamban 5.0’ document along with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Dhiraj Seth, Indian Navy Chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, Chief of Defense Staff General NS Raja Subramani and other dignitaries during a plenary session of the Indian Navy’s flagship ‘SWAVAN’ at New206AN in Delhi on October 26 2026. Photo: X/@SpokespersonMoD via ANI

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday (Oct 26, 2026) called for ‘Aatmanirbharta 2.0’ in the defense sector, focusing on developing advanced technologies, strengthening research and development (R&D) and building resilient domestic supply chains to reduce import dependency and achieve technological superiority.

Addressing the fifth annual Indian Navy Naval Innovation and Indigenization Seminar, SWAVLAMBAN 5.0, in New Delhi, he said the next phase of self-sufficiency must build on the gains made in the last decade and focus on technologies that were considered difficult to develop on our own.

Mr. Singh emphasized that India must produce products that are cost-effective, operationally superior and globally competitive, adding that defense innovators with futuristic vision and scientific discipline could emerge as key players in achieving these goals.

He described supply chain management as a strategic imperative directly linked to national security and called for a dynamic plan with clear timelines for indigenization, identification of critical technologies and industries and assessment of required resources. He pointed to the dependence on raw materials such as rare earth elements and the absence of certain technologies domestically, stressing the need to prepare for potential disruptions to supply routes.

The minister emphasized the importance of research and development and called for greater private sector participation and funding mechanisms that could support high-risk, high-reward projects. He said India needs to develop a research culture that sees failure as a learning opportunity, while strengthening industry-academia collaboration and encouraging young people to pursue careers in innovation.

Mr. Singh also called for a “Dual Technology Roadmap” to identify technologies with applications in both civil and military sectors. He said indigenization efforts should expand beyond existing positive indigenization lists to cover technologies relevant to civilian and military shipping, all three services and the Coast Guard.

Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan said Navy-specific iDEX calls have grown from 20 in 2022 to 229, representing about 35% of all defense iDEX calls. The Navy received 41 Acceptance of Necessity approvals worth over ₹3,500 crore and signed 25 contracts worth over ₹1,900 crore.

Taking place on October 26 and 27, the two-day seminar brings together the armed forces, industry, start-ups and academia to explore emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, autonomous systems and hypersonics.

Published – 27 Oct 2026 10:33 IST