Rajnath Singh cites global conflicts to urge self-reliance in drone manufacturing
The Hindu
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh urges India to achieve self-reliance in drone manufacturing amid global conflict lessons.
India must develop a robust ecosystem for drone manufacturing, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday (March 19, 2026), highlighting lessons from the Russia-Ukraine and Iran-Israel conflicts.
Addressing the National Defence Industries Conclave, Mr. Singh said the two conflicts demonstrated the significance of drones and counter-drone technologies.
"As the entire world watches the ongoing conflict involving Russia and Ukraine, along with Iran-Israel, we can clearly see the extremely significant role of drones and counter-drone technologies in future warfare," he said.
"Today, there is a need to build such a drone manufacturing ecosystem in India in which we are completely self-reliant," he said.
The conclave was attended by top executives of leading domestic defence manufacturing firms as well as officials of defence public sector undertakings.
"For India's defence preparedness and strategic autonomy, it is essential that India becomes fully self-reliant in drone manufacturing," Mr. Singh said.
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