The Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Defence, headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, visited the Pune-based Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), a premier laboratory of DRDO under the aegis of Armament and Combat Engineering Systems (ACE), on Thursday.
During the visit, the committee inspected the state-of-the-art products developed by different laboratories of the cluster. The notable products demonstrated include the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System, PINAKA Rocket System, Light Tank ’Zorawar’, Wheeled Armoured Platform, and AKASH-New Generation missile.
The committee was also informed of the status of the technologies being developed in the fields of Robotics, Rail Gun, Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, and High-Energy Propulsion Materials.
Addressing the meeting on the topic ‘Emerging Technologies and DRDO’, the Defence Minister stressed the need to understand and adapt to the transformation taking place in the defence sector and the evolving nature of warfare. He termed advanced technologies as a necessity in the rapidly changing world, voicing the government’s commitment to integrating this necessity into the security apparatus.
“Today is an era of technological dominance. The nation that prioritises science and innovation will lead the future. Technology is no longer limited to labs; it has become the foundation of our strategic decisions, defence system, and future policies. Our goal is not only to achieve Aatmanirbharta in defence, but also to develop a culture that inspires future generations and establishes India as a global defence innovation hub,” he said.
Underlining the essentiality of adopting future changes as a national mission and viewing it not just as a technical upgrade, the Defence Minister said, “We should not only be the users of technology; we should also be the creators. To achieve this, there is a need to accelerate our self-reliance efforts. Aatmanirbharta in defence is not just a goal, it is the strongest shield for national security.”
“The scope of cutting-edge tech is very restricted. Sometimes, some countries resort to protectionism when it comes to disruptive technologies. Sometimes, they do not share information with other countries. India has challenged these limitations. We have shown that if our intentions are clear and policies are unambiguous, we can become self-reliant in any field. Today, India is not only meeting its own needs, but is also becoming a trusted defence partner for the world,” he added.
Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar, Secretary of the Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat, along with other senior officials of the Ministry of Defence, attended the meeting.