New Delhi: Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said a host of initiatives are underway to build a robust and self-reliant defence ecosystem in India along with combating the "menace of information warfare" against national security.
Addressing the inaugural edition of Delhi Defence Dialogue (DDD), titled ‘Adaptive Defence: Navigating the Changing Landscape of Modern Warfare’, at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), Singh said, "Government of India has been working at the structural, organisational and capability levels to incorporate strong element of jointness among the three armed forces. The establishment of the institution of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), development of the idea of theatre commands, improvisation of the training curriculum, and forging new defence partnerships around the world are some of them," Singh said.
Adaptive defence strategies
The minister said that India is increasingly deploying 'adaptive defence' strategies to counter the menace of information warfare against national security, taking several initiatives to address the issue of defence modernisation and production. The 'Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan', with its focus on self-reliance in defence sector, forms the bedrock of this vision, he added.
Singh described 'adaptive defence', as a strategic approach, where a nation’s military forces and defence mechanisms continuously evolve to counter emerging threats and challenges effectively. In essence, it involves cultivating a mindset and capability to adapt, innovate, and persevere, even in the face of unpredictable and evolving circumstances, Singh said while applauding MP-IDSA, led by its director general Amb Sujan R. Chinoy, for taking the initiative to focus on 'adaptive defence'.
Emphasising that 'adaptive defence' must be the mantra of India’s strategic formulations and operational responses, the defence ministry described situational awareness, flexibility at strategic and tactical levels, resilience, agility, and integration with the emerging and futuristic technologies, as key to understanding and creating adaptive defence.
Attracting investment for defence sector
The minister listed several initiatives undertaken by the government to attract investments for the defence sector. Increasing the Foreign Direct Investment limit up to 100 per cent in specific cases, establishment of Defence Industrial Corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, and the ‘Make in India’ campaign, being some of them, he added.
"Apart from reforms related to defence personnel, command, control and equipment, a collaborative approach is also critical in dealing with contemporary problems of defence and security. Adaptive Defence can only become a reality when it is also a reflection of collaborative defence", he added.
The inaugural edition of DDD will be a flagship platform of MP-IDSA for addressing the multifaceted challenges of defence and security in India. It aims to delve into critical topics like emerging threats, supply chain management and role of technology in modern warfare. The session features eminent speakers from nine countries namely, Armenia, Australia, France, Israel, Japan, Italy, Russia, USA, apart from India.
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