Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh spoke about India’s defence reforms, indigenous technology, startup support, and critical mineral strategy at the launch of the Blueprint magazine in New Delhi. Edited excerpts from his interaction with A K Bhattacharya of Business Standard:
How far has India progressed in achieving self-reliance in defence production?
India’s defence sector has made significant strides in indigenisation, but the journey is ongoing. Across key domains such as artillery, armoured systems, long-range missiles, and multi-barrel rocket launchers, domestic production has reached advanced levels. True indigenisation would essentially mean that the entire design and intellectual property rights rest within the country. However, in certain high-technology areas, the country still relies on technology transfers. The government’s approach is to encourage domestic manufacturing while leveraging foreign technology where necessary.
How is the government balancing domestic production and strategic imports?
The policy framework encourages collaboration between Indian companies and foreign technology partners. While domestic
manufacturing is emphasised, strategic imports are allowed in areas where India lacks the necessary technical capabilities. This ensures that critical capability gaps are addressed without compromising self-reliance objectives. The government is also considering royalty charges for Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) technologies licensed to domestic manufacturers.
How are public defence companies performing after corporatisation?
India has 16 central defence public-sector undertakings (PSUs), including seven corporatised units. Reforms, such as removing restrictive no-objection certificate requirements, aim to increase competitiveness and efficiency. While PSUs retain advantages such as access to land, technology, and prior contracts, they compete with private companies. Most ordnance and defence PSUs are profitable, benefiting from both domestic and export orders.
What is the government’s vision for DRDO?
It is central to India’s defence research ecosystem. The DRDO has done great work, but delivery schedules need improvement. The government is in discussions to restructure DRDO for faster delivery of technology platforms and to provide private sector access to labs and testing infrastructure. The goal is a hybrid pipeline where public and private sectors jointly meet capability requirements.
How does India define its credible threshold of hard power?
We should have overwhelming asymmetry vis-à-vis our western adversary, deterrent capacity vis-à-vis our northern adversary, and dominance in the entire region. This requires a combination of industrial and technological superiority backed by sufficient numbers of weapons and platforms. In addition, we need to ensure that our island territories have robust defence capabilities to command key areas of the Indian Ocean, including the Malacca Strait, so that India remains the predominant force in the region.
Have procurement reforms improved the system?
The Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020 will be revised by the end of the year. The Defence Procurement Manual 2025 has been revised to streamline defence procurement. Timelines for trials and contract approvals have been shortened, and accountability has been emphasised. The defence procurement manual, which covers consumables worth around ₹1 trillion for revenue procurements, now allows forces to buy directly from the government marketplace portal for dual-use and civilian-type equipment. These reforms aim to reduce delays and create a more responsive, industry-friendly environment.
How is the defence startup ecosystem evolving?
Defence is the only central sector with a structured startup support scheme. Startups also receive initial orders to validate and scale their products. The government plans to extend assured orders for five years for indigenously developed solutions, providing a runway to improve and upgrade prototypes. The goal is to create a level playing field, encourage domestic innovation, and enable vendors to move up the value chain to become original equipment manufacturers. The i-DEX Aditi grant currently funds prototypes up to ₹25 crore, which will soon increase to ₹50 crore.
How is India addressing critical mineral and rare-earth requirements for defence technologies?
The government has initiated the NCMM 2025, with the first round of auctions completed and the second underway. The Department of Defence Production is considering building a national stock of critical minerals and metals. This would serve as a short-term measure to meet urgent requirements. In the long run, India has reasonable reserves of critical minerals, and we should aim to utilise them more effectively for strategic purposes. Recently, the Ministry of Environment classified critical mineral mines as strategic, enabling faster environmental clearances.
How is the licensing system for defence being reformed?
Complete deregulation is not feasible for lethal equipment and explosives. However, licensing processes have been simplified to reduce delays. Security clearances by state and central agencies are now committed to being completed within three months. Import and export licences are being streamlined through a single-window system. Licence validity has been extended from three years to 18 years, providing long-term certainty for domestic manufacturers to invest and scale operations.
What is the status of the Kaveri jet engine programme?
The Kaveri engine did not meet all original performance expectations and is being adapted for India’s unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) programme. The DRDO plans to utilise it in future UCAVs, ensuring the investment contributes to domestic aerospace capability.
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 "DRDO revamp on cards for faster tech delivery, says Defence Secretary")
