By Staff Correspondent
India’s Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, underscored the criticality of advanced technology in the defence sector, citing the concept of non-kinetic warfare. Speaking at the 12th convocation of the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT) in Pune, Singh highlighted the transformative impact of changing global perspectives on warfare dynamics and methods, emphasising the need for cutting-edge technology in the realm of non-kinetic or contactless warfare. He expressed concerns over the formidable threat posed by adversaries with superior technological capabilities, stressing the imperative of staying abreast of technological advancements.
Non-kinetic warfare encompasses a range of actions directed against adversaries without direct military engagement, including cyber warfare, information warfare, electromagnetic offensives, psychological operations, and cryptographic warfare. Singh called for increased innovation in the defence sector, emphasising the interconnectedness of advanced technologies and defense research. He also recognized the indispensable role of publicly funded defence research and development in spearheading frontier research, which often surpasses the capabilities of the private sector due to inherent limitations defence
Singh emphasised the significance of self-reliance in the defence sector, clarifying that it does not entail severing ties with the global community. Rather, self-reliance aims to meet the Armed Forces’ requirements by fostering domestic capacity for building essential equipment and platforms, while simultaneously meeting the security needs of friendly nations through defence exports. Singh enumerated various measures undertaken by the defence ministry to promote self-reliance, including the formulation of positive indigenisation lists for the Armed Forces and DPSUs, as well as a substantial increase in defence exports from INR 900 crore in 2014 to INR 16,000 crore projected for 2022-23.
During the DIAT convocation, Singh conferred degrees upon 283 students, comprising MTech, MSc, and PhD scholars. He also acquainted himself with ongoing development projects at DIAT, including initiatives related to space-to-undersea communication, drone interception and combat technology, nano-diamond batteries, and biomedical healthcare devices pioneered by a DIAT startup.
