Self-reliance and jointness must for strategic autonomy & future-ready force

“A nation’s strength will increasingly depend on how quickly its defence forces, laboratories, and industries think & act as one,” said Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh as he underscored the importance of self-reliance and jointness to secure strategic autonomy & remain future-ready for emerging security challenges. He was addressing policy makers, military leadership, defence industry stakeholders, diplomats, innovators, start-ups, academia & strategic experts through a video message during Kalam & Kavach 3.0, a defence strategic dialogue organised at Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi today.

Raksha Mantri emphasised that the battlefield of tomorrow will reward those who can shorten the time between an idea, a prototype, and operational deployment. He added that national security cannot rest on old assumptions in the current geopolitical tensions, ongoing conflicts, cyber threats, supply-chain vulnerabilities, and new forms of hybrid warfare. “National security demands our preparedness, resilience, innovation, and strategic confidence,” he said.

Delivering the inaugural address, Raksha Rajya Mantri Sanjay Seth highlighted the significance of Kalam & Kavach as a platform where ideas converge with national purpose. He highlighted that Kalam represents knowledge, science, research and innovation, while Kavach symbolises protection, resilience and the responsibility of safeguarding the nation.

In his special address, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC) Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit stressed the importance of indigenous innovation in securing India’s strategic future. He stated that India’s defence capability must be built on self-reliance and the ability to create cutting-edge technologies.(UPDATED ON 14TH MAY 2026)