Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal (ACM) AP Singh, has urged for a faster push toward defence self-reliance, emphasizing the crucial role of private sector partnerships alongside public sector undertakings in transforming India’s defence ecosystem.
Highlighting that India currently imports 60–70% of its defence equipment, ACM Singh termed this dependence a strategic vulnerability and called for a mission-mode approach to achieve near-total indigenisation by 2035.
“Technology delayed is technology denied,” he said, stressing that timely research, development, and production are essential to ensure India’s technological edge and operational readiness.
Strengthening the Private Sector’s Role
The IAF Chief underscored the importance of private industry participation to drive innovation, speed up production, and enhance competitiveness in defence manufacturing. Companies such as Tata, Reliance, Adani, and Mahindra have already begun producing aircraft components, drones, and missile systems.
However, ACM Singh called for deeper and faster private sector involvement, particularly in upcoming high-priority projects like the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) and future UAV platforms.
He further noted that Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) could help boost production capacity, generate large-scale employment, and develop technical skills among India’s youth, while also enhancing defence exports.
Revamping R&D and Building Strategic Autonomy
ACM Singh also called for a revamp of the research and development ecosystem, urging greater tolerance for risk and failure in innovation to accelerate breakthroughs. He emphasized that India must reduce dependency on external allies and rely on indigenous systems for long-term strategic security.
Addressing regional challenges, he highlighted the rapid modernisation of China’s military and reiterated the need for India to match technological advancements through indigenous innovation and superior training.
A Vision for Defence by 2047
ACM Singh outlined a long-term vision of comprehensive indigenous development — spanning aircraft engines, radars, missiles, and weapon systems — as the foundation of national strategic autonomy.
His call for action aligns with India’s goal of achieving complete defence self-reliance by 2047, building a globally competitive defence industrial base through a strong collaboration between the government, DRDO, HAL, and private enterprises.
