‘Warfare begins in data, not on battlefield’: Rajnath Singh urges focus on innovation

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Tuesday, underscored the growing importance of innovation and advanced technology in modern warfare, stating that battles today are increasingly being fought through data and algorithms rather than solely on the battlefield. He emphasised that the nation must prioritise intellectual investment in frontier technologies over physical assets to stay ahead in the evolving defence landscape.

The Defence Minister was speaking during the inauguration of the National Conference at Vigyan Bhawan, here. “We have to try to fill the technological gaps with indigenous solutions and provide solutions to our young innovators and start-ups, where there is a need for high-end technology. We will be able to build a New India only when we move forward with traditional strength and modern innovation,” he said.

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Reiterating his earlier statement of the country’s protection being a collective responsibility of the entire nation and not only that of the government, the Defence Minister said that strengthening the defence sector is not the work of any one institution or government, but a common resolve of the whole of India.

“During Operation Sindoor, when the need for a mock drill arose, all the state governments and their agencies actively participated in it. All this is proof that when we all move forward together towards a goal, no challenge remains too big,” he said.

Singh lauded 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. “You are the architects of a new India that believes in designing, developing and producing for itself. The energy and innovation you bring are key to realising the Prime Minister’s vision of a technologically self-reliant India,” he highlighted.

The Union minister also highlighted that the MoD is forging strategic alliances with the Department of Science and Technology, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, and leading financial institutions to facilitate end-to-end support for startups. “Our objective is to build an ecosystem where every idea gets the opportunity to grow into a viable product, every prototype gets the chance to scale into production, and every innovation contributes to India’s defence preparedness,” he stated.

Singh pointed out that defence manufacturing under Aatmanirbhar Bharat has now become one of the most promising sectors for private investment, R&D and employment generation. He underscored that a strong indigenous defence industry is not only a strategic necessity but an economic multiplier.

He further stated that the defence innovation journey of India is moving steadily from concept to creation and from vision to victory. He underlined the fact that the nation together will make India not only self-reliant but a global leader in defence technology. He also reaffirmed that India’s defence startup ecosystem will play a decisive role in shaping the nation’s secure and self-reliant future.