Defence Minister Calls for ‘Aatmanirbharta 2.0’ to Boost Domestic Defence R&D and Manufacturing

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday called for the rollout of ‘Aatmanirbharta 2.0’ in the defence sector, emphasizing the development of top-end, state-of-the-art technologies, strengthening Research and Development (R&D), and building resilient supply chains to reduce import dependence. Speaking at the fifth edition of the Indian Navy’s naval innovation and indigenisation seminar, Swavlamban 2026, in New Delhi, Singh noted that this push would contribute to the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047.

The Minister stressed the need to build upon the gains of the first phase of self-reliance, stating that defence innovators with futuristic vision and scientific discipline can act as impact players. He underlined that indigenous products must be cost-effective, operationally superior, and globally competitive. Furthermore, he described supply chain management as a strategic imperative linked to national security, requiring a dynamic roadmap with clear timelines, identified technologies, and required resources.

Drawing comparisons with R&D cultures in countries like Israel, South Korea, and the US, Singh advocated for a deep-rooted culture of research in India through stronger industry-academia collaboration and increased opportunities for youth. He specifically highlighted the contribution of the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative in enabling startups and MSMEs to develop technologies previously imported by India. According to the Minister, over 4,000 proposals have been submitted against 229 challenges issued by the Navy iDEX, leading to solutions in naval systems, sensors, and communications.

Singh pointed out that the next phase of self-reliance must focus on quality, efficiency, and affordability alongside quantity. He noted that naval contracts worth over ₹1,900 crore demonstrate tangible results, while adding that import dependence, particularly concerning Buyer Nominated Equipment, still needs to be addressed. To broaden indigenisation, he called for a ‘Dual Technology Roadmap’ to identify technologies serving both civilian and military requirements.

Addressing the seminar, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan stated that Navy-specific iDEX challenges have grown from 20 in 2022 to 229, accounting for roughly 35 percent of all defence sector iDEX challenges. He reported that 41 in-principle approval cases worth over ₹3,500 crore have been accorded, alongside 25 signed contracts valued at over ₹1,900 crore. The Admiral emphasized the need to translate advances in artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, robotics, and quantum sensing into operational capabilities.

"The push for 'Aatmanirbharta 2.0' opens up structured avenues for Indian startups and MSMEs to engage deeply with the defence sector. With platforms like iDEX driving tangible contract values and thousands of proposals, early-stage ventures building solutions in high-end technologies, sensors, and autonomous systems have a clear growth trajectory. Founders must focus on rigorous R&D, cost-efficiency, and aligning their innovations with strategic national requirements to successfully transition from prototypes to scaled deployment." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes