The Military College of Telecommunication Engineering (MCTE), Mhow, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology Indore, conducted RASHTRIYA KARTAVYA 1.0 on 5 August 2026. The seminar was organised to strengthen cooperation between the Indian Army and leading academic institutions for the development of technology-driven solutions to real operational challenges.
The initiative brought together military professionals, academicians, researchers and technology experts on a common platform to discuss how emerging technologies can be effectively applied to meet the evolving requirements of the Armed Forces. The seminar focused on converting operational problems identified in the field into practical, scalable and indigenous technological solutions through sustained Army–Academia collaboration.
Maj Gen Gautam Mahajan, SM, Deputy Commandant and Chief Instructor of the Military College of Telecommunication Engineering, addressed the participants and emphasised the need for a whole-of-nation approach towards defence technology development. He highlighted that closer and more frequent interaction between the Armed Forces, academic institutions, research organisations, start-ups and industry would be essential for building advanced indigenous capabilities.
Maj Gen Mahajan underlined that modern warfare is increasingly influenced by rapid developments in telecommunications, artificial intelligence, cyber security, autonomous systems, data analytics, electronic warfare and other disruptive technologies. In such an environment, the ability to identify operational requirements and quickly convert innovative ideas into usable solutions has become critical for maintaining technological superiority.
RASHTRIYA KARTAVYA 1.0 was designed to bridge the gap between military users facing operational challenges and researchers possessing the technical expertise to address them. By facilitating direct interaction between soldiers, officers, scientists and students, the seminar sought to ensure that technology development remains closely aligned with actual field requirements.
The collaboration between MCTE and IIT Indore is also expected to encourage joint research, prototype development, testing and refinement of solutions relevant to the Armed Forces. Such partnerships can help reduce development timelines while providing academic researchers with a deeper understanding of the demanding operational conditions under which defence technologies are required to function.
The seminar also reflected the growing emphasis of the Indian Armed Forces on self-reliance and indigenous innovation. Developing critical technologies within the country is considered essential for reducing dependence on foreign systems, strengthening national security and ensuring that the Armed Forces have access to equipment tailored to India’s specific operational environment.
MCTE, located in Mhow, is one of the Indian Army’s premier institutions for training personnel in telecommunications, information technology, cyber operations and related technical fields. Its collaboration with IIT Indore combines the Army’s operational experience with the institute’s research capabilities and technological expertise.
Through RASHTRIYA KARTAVYA 1.0, the two institutions aimed to create a structured mechanism for identifying operational challenges, evaluating technological concepts and supporting promising solutions from the research stage to possible field deployment.
The seminar demonstrated how the Armed Forces and academic institutions can jointly contribute to the national objective of creating a technologically advanced and self-reliant defence ecosystem. It also reinforced the importance of collaborative innovation in preparing the Indian Army to address the complex security challenges of the future.
