Parwinder Sandhu
New Delhi, May 14 (UNI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday called for accelerating India's march towards self-reliance in defence manufacturing and strengthening jointness among stakeholders, asserting that national security can no longer rely on outdated approaches amid a rapidly evolving global security landscape.
Addressing the third edition of Kalam and Kavach 2026 through a virtual message in the national capital, Singh said the name of the forum itself reflected a powerful vision for the country's future security framework.
"Kalam, the Hindi name for pen, stands for ideas, reason, and the courage to think ahead. Kavach means shield, stands for strength, protection, and the capability to secure the nation. A country that can think clearly and defend strongly stands tall in the world. That is the India we are working to build," he said.
Highlighting the changing nature of global conflicts, Singh said the strategic environment across the world was becoming increasingly uncertain, contested, and technology-driven.
He pointed to persistent geopolitical tensions, ongoing conflicts, cyber threats, supply chain vulnerabilities, and emerging forms of hybrid warfare as key challenges confronting nations.
"In such a world, national security cannot rest on old dimensions. It demands our preparedness, resilience, innovation, and strategic confidence," he said.
Emphasising the importance of Aatmanirbhar Bharat in the defence sector, Singh said self-reliance was not merely an economic objective but a strategic necessity for India.
"A nation that depends excessively on others for critical defence capability remains vulnerable in times of crisis. We must design, develop, produce, maintain, and upgrade key systems within our own national ecosystem. That is how we will be able to secure our strategic autonomy," he said.
The Defence Minister also underscored the need for greater integration among various stakeholders, stating that modern warfare requires seamless coordination across multiple domains.
"Modern warfare does not respect traditional silos. Success will depend on how efficiently we bring together our armed forces across land, sea, air, cyber, and space. It will also depend on how closely our laboratories, industry, startups, policymakers, and military institutions work together," he said.
Calling for faster innovation cycles in defence preparedness, Singh said future battlefields would favour nations capable of rapidly converting ideas into operational capabilities.
"A nation's strength will increasingly depend on how quickly its laboratories, industry, and armed forces can think and act as one. The battlefield of tomorrow may reward those who can shorten the time between an idea, a prototype, and operational deployment," he noted.
He described discussions on jointness, indigenous manufacturing, emerging technologies, and global partnerships as interconnected pillars of India's broader defence vision.
The Defence Minister said India had already made significant progress, citing growing defence exports, increased participation of the private sector and ongoing modernisation of the armed forces.
However, he cautioned against complacency and urged stakeholders to continue strengthening India's defence ecosystem.
"The pen must keep writing bolder ideas. The shield must keep getting stronger," Singh said.
He also lauded the organisers for bringing together policymakers, experts, and defence stakeholders on a common platform and expressed hope that the deliberations would lead to practical outcomes benefiting the armed forces and the nation.
UNI PWS RSA