Stressing on the urgent need to build a drone-production ecosystem in the country to ensure strategic autonomy, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said India must work in a mission mode to emerge as a global hub of indigenous drone manufacturing over the next few years.
Speaking during the inaugural session of the two-day National Defence Industries Conclave in New Delhi, he also made a note of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine and Iran-Israel conflicts to emphasise on the need for drones and counter-drone technologies in future warfare. “Today, as the entire world is watching 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, adding, “there is a need to build such a drone manufacturing ecosystem in India, in which we are completely self-reliant.”
He said, “India must work in a mission mode to emerge as a global hub of indigenous drone manufacturing in the next few years.”
At the event attended by MSMEs, start-ups, Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), private defence companies, and policymakers, Singh said, “Indigenous drone production ecosystem is a must for strategic autonomy, defence preparedness and self-reliance.”
Singh asserted that the ongoing conflicts are proof that self-reliance in drone manufacturing is essential not merely at the product level, but at the component level as well. “From the drone’s molds to its software, engines, and batteries, everything must be manufactured in India. This is no easy task. In most countries where drones are manufactured, a significant number of critical components are currently imported from China,” he said.
While he called for active contribution of the private sector in this regard, Singh extended the government’s full support to transform India into a global hub for indigenous drone manufacturing.
On the role of MSMEs in the defence sector, he said, “As of February 2026, approximately 676 start-ups, MSMEs, and individual innovators have joined the defence innovation ecosystem since the inception of iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) in 2018.”
As many as 548 contracts have been signed and 566 challenges launched. Of these, 58 prototypes have received clearance for procurement, valued at around Rs 3,853 crore, he added. “Furthermore, 45 procurement contracts, worth nearly Rs 2,326 crore, have already been signed. These figures demonstrate that innovation is gradually materialising into tangible products and technologies, and the role played by our start-ups and MSMEs is steadily gaining strength,” he said.
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Speaking on the occasion, Secretary (Defence Production), Sanjeev Kumar highlighted that the conclave aims to promote advanced manufacturing technologies, and integration of MSMEs in the production ecosystem and entire value chain.
Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Tripathi, Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and DRDO Chairman Samir V Kamat were also present.
The National Defence Industries Conclave (NDIC) 2026, organised by the Department of Defence Production (DDP), is based on the theme of ‘Advanced Manufacturing Technologies’, as per the official release. Singh also inaugurated an exhibition, which saw 20 large defence companies showcasing their initiatives and programmes for co-opting MSMEs as partners, suppliers and innovators. In addition, 24 Indian and foreign companies are participating in the exhibition to display advanced manufacturing technologies such as automation, artificial intelligence, robotics, additive manufacturing and smart materials.
The initiative aligns with the government’s vision of Aatmanirbharta in defence, and seeks to enhance India’s technological capability and global competitiveness in defence production. It is also expected to encourage industries from non-defence sectors to explore opportunities in defence manufacturing.
