Delhi Defence Dialogue 2025 Highlights India’s Push for Technological Leadership in Defence

November 12, 2025

New Delhi: The second edition of the Delhi Defence Dialogue on ‘Harnessing New Age Technology for Defence Capability Development’ concluded today at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA). The dialogue brought together senior policymakers, military leaders, scientists, industry experts, and academics to deliberate on ways to strengthen India’s defence preparedness through innovation and indigenous technologies.

Delivering a Special Address on ‘Modernisation of the Indian Army and the Role of New-Age Technology’, the Chief of Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi, PVSM, AVSM, ADC, said that while technology is reshaping the character of warfare, geography and human leadership will continue to determine its outcome. Citing over 50 ongoing conflicts worldwide, he described the current environment as an ‘era of jostling and competition’, where the Ukraine conflict serves as a living laboratory for drone warfare, jamming technologies, and long-range precision systems.

General Dwivedi outlined the three Ds – Democratization, Diffusion, and Disruption – as the key drivers of evolving warfare. He said that the Indian Army, facing a two-and-a-half front challenge, is undergoing a decade of transformation under five pillars that integrate human capability with advanced technology. Emphasising on a ‘mélange of technology and geography’, he stated, ‘Land will remain the currency of victory for India. Our strength will always lie in our soldiers – amplified by AI, not replaced by it.’

The Army Chief detailed the ‘5Ps Action Plan’ – Procedures, Processes, Patents, People, and Partnerships – to fast-track innovation through collaboration with academia, industry, and government. He reaffirmed that the Army is aligning with national missions in space, quantum computing, and 6G, while building data-driven, human-centric capabilities for multi-domain operations.

Chairman DRDO, Dr. Samir V. Kamat, in his Special Address, said the world is moving from a unipolar to a multipolar order, with India emerging as a strong and confident pole. We are in an era of disruptive technologies that have a disproportionate impact on military capabilities. To meet future challenges, India must move from technology adoption to technology leadership, he emphasised.

Dr. Kamat highlighted that over 90 per cent of defence orders in 2024 have been placed for indigenous systems – a major shift from the past, when 60-70 per cent of India’s defence equipment was imported. He called for an increase in the defence R&D budget from 5.5 per cent to 10 per cent of total defence spending over the next five years and urged greater private sector and civilian R&D participation to achieve technological self-reliance.

Outlining DRDO’s reforms, he said that all mission-mode projects now include two Development-cum-Production Partners (DCPPs) from both public and private sectors to enhance competition and absorption. DRDO has opened its intellectual property for industry use, expanded the Technology Development Fund (TDF) to support cutting-edge R&D by MSMEs and startups, and proposed a dedicated R&D framework within financial rules to accelerate innovation.

Dr. Kamat also noted that DRDO has established 15 Centres of Excellence in premier academic institutions and five Young Scientist Laboratories led by directors under 35 years of age, focusing on frontier areas such as quantum computing and manned–unmanned teaming. He underlined the importance of viewing R&D as an investment and promoting international co-development and co-production projects, citing BrahMos and MRSAM as successful models.

The subsequent sessions of the day focused on the challenges and opportunities for MSMEs and start-ups in the defence sector, particularly in harnessing new-age technologies. Participants engaged in a lively discussion on advancing Atmanirbharta and emphasized the significance of achieving civil–military integration to accelerate the development and adoption of cutting-edge technologies.

In his Special Address, Shri Sanjeev Kumar, Secretary, Department of Defence Production, Government of India emphasised that India’s defence strategy requires embracing new-age tech for self-reliance. He observed that defense outcomes hinge on combination of tech, leadership and societal efforts. It is vital that critical gaps are addressed and a doctrine to integrate innovators is developed.

Also speaking on the occasion was Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari, SYSM, PVSM, AVSM, VM, Vice Chief of the Air Staff. Delivering a Special Address Air Marshal Tiwari noted that the future battlespace is data-driven and underscored the challenges of democratisation of airspace. He also spoke on the need for indigenisation of cutting-edge technology, the role of academia and industry in defence R&D, and the potential for civil-military fusion.

In his Valedictory Address, Shri Baba Kalyani, Chairman & Managing Director of Bharat Forge Ltd., emphasised the critical importance of Atmanirbharta (self-reliance) in the defence sector. He stated that true Atmanirbharta lies in the ability to innovate and create from our own knowledge base. Highlighting India’s unique strength, he noted that the nation’s vast talent pool and capacity for crowdsourced innovation constitute its greatest advantage. Drawing on his extensive experience and distinguished achievements, Shri Kalyani also outlined the challenges on the path to self-reliance and shared strategic insights to overcome them.

The Delhi Defence Dialogue serves as a key platform for fostering synergy among policymakers, military leaders, scientists, and innovators to shape India’s transition toward technological leadership in defence. The discussions are expected to contribute significantly to developing data-driven, multi-domain capabilities that will define the future of national security.