New Delhi: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, during ‘Raksha Navachar Samvaad: Interaction with iDEX Startups’, before the inauguration of the National Conference at Vigyan Bhawan on October 7, 2025, said that the modus operandi of wars has changed, and Operation Sindoor gave a peek into the future.
‘We must become the creators and standard-setters’
Singh, during his speech, said, “The battlefield has changed. The wars of tomorrow will be fought with algorithms, autonomous systems and artificial intelligence. Drones, anti-drone systems, quantum computing and directed-energy weapons will define the future. We have seen such a demo in Operation Sindoor as well.”
He called upon innovators to think beyond existing solutions and develop technologies that redefine warfare. The defence minister added, “We must not remain imitators or followers in technology, we must become the creators and standard-setters for the world.”
The indigenisation of the defence sector
Singh also pointed out the indigenisation of the defence sector. He stated that defence capital acquisitions from domestic sources have increased from Rs 74,000 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 1.2 lakh crore in 2024-25. He termed this shift as “not merely a statistical change but a change in mindset from dependence to confidence.”
Also, he highlighted that under the government’s Public Procurement Policy, at least 25 per cent of annual procurement is reserved for Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs), and over 350 items have been earmarked exclusively for them. He said, “India’s self-reliance in defence has moved from being a slogan to becoming a movement. From policy to practice and from innovation to impact, this transformation has been made possible by our innovators, startups, and young entrepreneurs.”
He urged for more startups in the defence sector, by saying, “Let the first Defence Unicorn of India emerge from among you.” Also, he hailed the collective effort of innovators for contributing to record-breaking achievements in defence production worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore and exports exceeding Rs 23,000 crore in the last financial year.