**Executive Summary**
The "Kalam & Kavach 3.0" defence strategic dialogue, held on May 14, 2026, in New Delhi, emphasized the necessity of self-reliance (Aatmanirbharta) and jointness to secure India's strategic autonomy. Key objectives include shortening the timeline from idea to operational deployment and achieving ambitious economic targets by 2029-30. The event served as a platform for military leadership, industry, and academia to align on future-ready technologies and integrated modern warfare.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Strategic Vision and Autonomy**
* **Strategic Necessity:** Self-reliance is framed as a strategic requirement to avoid vulnerability during crises by designing, producing, and maintaining key systems within the national ecosystem.
* **Jointness in Warfare:** Modern warfare requires the seamless integration of defence forces across land, sea, air, cyber, and space domains, breaking down traditional institutional silos.
* **Rapid Deployment:** Success in future battlefields will depend on the ability to accelerate the cycle between initial idea, prototype development, and final operational deployment.
**Technological Innovation and Focus Areas**
* **Theme of the Dialogue:** The event, themed ‘Taking JAI Forward With I²’ (Jointness, Aatmanirbharta & Innovation), focused on advancing India’s journey toward future-ready defence technologies.
* **Critical Technology Sectors:** High-level discussions targeted AI-enabled warfare, autonomous systems, hypersonic technologies, and quantum-enabled Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR).
* **Role of Innovation:** Laboratories, start-ups, and academia are identified as essential contributors to building a resilient, technology-driven defence ecosystem.
**Economic Targets and Sector Growth**
* **Current Achievements:** Annual defence production reached a record Rs 1.54 lakh crore in FY 2025-26, with exports rising to Rs 38,424 crore.
* **Future Milestones:** The government aims to achieve Rs 50,000 crore in defence exports and Rs 3 lakh crore in total defence production by the year 2029-30.
* **Operational Success:** "Operation Sindoor" was cited as a benchmark for New India’s capabilities, demonstrating indigenous system efficacy and technological integration.
**Impact Analysis**
**Defence Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force)**
**Impact**
Forces must transition from traditional domain-specific operations to a model of seamless jointness across all spheres, including cyber and space.
**Action Required**
Adopt integrated operational strategies and utilize indigenous systems to respond to hybrid warfare and emerging security threats.
**Defence Industry (including MSMEs and Startups)**
**Impact**
The industry is positioned to become a global hub for aerospace and security innovation, with significant opportunities for scaling up production.
**Action Required**
Focus on indigenous manufacturing-led innovation and enhance "surge capacity" to support modern conflict requirements and export targets.
**Academia and Research Laboratories**
**Impact**
These institutions are now critical nodes in the national security architecture, responsible for the "Kalam" (knowledge and research) aspect of defence.
**Action Required**
Collaborate closely with policymakers and military leadership to develop cutting-edge, future-ready technologies like hypersonics and AI.
**International Partners and Diplomats**
**Impact**
India is seeking global partnerships built on cooperation, trust, and shared innovation rather than simple buyer-seller relationships.
**Action Required**
Engage in strategic dialogues and industrial partnerships that align with India’s goal of strategic autonomy and global security cooperation.
Key Entities Referenced
Kalam & Kavach 3.0: A defense strategic dialogue platform themed 'Taking JAI Forward With I²', focused on advancing innovation, industrial partnerships, and self-reliance in national security.
JAI (Jointness, Aatmanirbharta & Innovation): A core strategic framework articulated as central to India’s future security architecture and the roadmap for achieving technological and manufacturing self-reliance.
Ministry of Defence: The primary government department responsible for national security policy, defense production targets, and the modernization of the Indian Armed Forces.
Operation Sindoor: A cited military achievement that serves as a benchmark for the integration of indigenous systems, rapid response, and jointness among the defense forces.
Viksit Bharat @ 2047: The national vision and timeline for a developed India, incorporating specific goals for defense exports and domestic production capacity by 2047.
Ministry of Defence
Self-reliance and jointness must for strategic
autonomy & future-ready force: Raksha Mantri
Tomorrow’s battlefield will reward those who shorten time
between idea, prototype & operational deployment, says Shri
Rajnath Singh
Op Sindoor is a defining example of New India’s capabilities,
emerging threats necessitate preparedness backed by
foresight: Raksha Rajya Mantri
Posted On: 14 MAY 2026 3:52PM by PIB Delhi
“A nation’s strength will increasingly depend on how quickly its defence forces, laboratories, and
industries think & act as one,” said Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh as he underscored the importance of
self-reliance and jointness to secure strategic autonomy & remain future-ready for emerging security
challenges. He was addressing policy makers, military leadership, defence industry stakeholders,
diplomats, innovators, start-ups, academia & strategic experts through a video message during Kalam &
Kavach 3.0, a defence strategic dialogue organised at Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi on May 14, 2026.
Raksha Mantri emphasised that the battlefield of tomorrow will reward those who can shorten the time
between an idea, a prototype, and operational deployment. He added that national security cannot rest on
old assumptions in the current geopolitical tensions, ongoing conflicts, cyber threats, supply-chain
vulnerabilities, and new forms of hybrid warfare. “National security demands our preparedness, resilience,
innovation, and strategic confidence,” he said.Shri Rajnath Singh described self-reliance as not only an economic goal, but also a strategic necessity,
asserting that a nation that depends excessively on others for critical defence capability remains vulnerable
in times of crisis. “We must design, develop, produce, maintain, and upgrade key systems within our own
national ecosystem. That is how we will be able to secure our strategic autonomy,” he said.
Underlining the need to achieve jointness, Raksha Mantri stated that modern warfare does not respect
silos, and success will depend on how efficiently “we bring together our defence forces across land, sea,
air, cyber, and space.” It will also depend on how closely laboratories, industries, start-ups, policymakers,
and military institutions work together, he said.
Delivering the inaugural address, Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth highlighted the significance of
Kalam & Kavach as a platform where ideas converge with national purpose. He highlighted that Kalam
represents knowledge, science, research and innovation, while Kavach symbolises protection, resilience
and the responsibility of safeguarding the nation.
Emphasising the rapidly evolving nature of warfare, Raksha Rajya Mantri stated that threats today extend
beyond traditional domains, necessitating preparedness backed by foresight. He reiterated the importance
of JAI (Jointness, Aatmanirbharta & Innovation) as articulated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, as
central to India’s future security architecture. He asserted that India’s road to Viksit Bharat @ 2047 will
pass through joint military capability, indigenous manufacturing-led innovation and global partnerships.
Shri Sanjay Seth stated that all efforts are being made to create a nation which is technologically
advanced, strategically confident and self-reliant in defence capabilities. India firmly believes that global
security and progress are strengthened through cooperation, trust and shared innovation, he told the
foreign delegates present on the occasion.
Referring to recent operational achievements, Shri Sanjay Seth described Operation Sindoor as a defining
example of New India’s capabilities, highlighting the role of indigenous systems, speed of response,
technological integration, and seamless jointness among the Defence Forces. He noted that such
operations reflect the nation’s zero-tolerance approach towards terrorism and its firm resolve that those
supporting terrorism will be held accountable.
On the progress achieved due to the steps taken by the Government to strengthen the country’s defence
sector, Shri Sanjay Seth stated that defence exports, which were a meagre Rs 686 crore a decade ago, have
skyrocketed to a record high of Rs 38,424 crore today. He added that annual defence production has
touched an all-time high of Rs 1.54 lakh crore in Financial Year 2025-26. He reaffirmed the Government’s
resolve to achieve the target of Rs 50,000 crore of defence exports and Rs 3 lakh crore of defence
production by 2029-30.In his special address, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee
(CISC) Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit stressed the importance of indigenous innovation in securing India’s
strategic future. He stated that India’s defence capability must be built on self-reliance and the ability to
create cutting-edge technologies.
Kalam & Kavach 3.0, themed ‘Taking JAI Forward With I²’, featured wide-ranging deliberations on
India’s evolving defence and national security landscape. The conclave focused on advancing India’s
journey towards Aatmanirbharta through innovation, industrial partnerships, capability development, and
future-ready defence technologies.
Various industry representatives underlined the importance of a robust indigenous manufacturing
ecosystem capable of supporting surge capacity and modern conflict requirements, while positioning
Indian industry as globally competitive. They highlighted the importance of collaboration among nations,
industry, innovators, and academia in building resilient, technology-driven defence ecosystems, noting
India’s growing potential as a global hub for aerospace and security innovation.
The conclave witnessed participation from senior representatives of the Ministry of Defence, HQ
Integrated Defence Staff, members of the National Security Advisory Board, senior officers from the
Armed Forces, Defence Attachés, scientists, industry leaders, startups, academia, and international
partners.
The event comprised multiple high-level sessions, keynote addresses, and panel discussions focusing on
critical areas including AI-enabled warfare, autonomous systems, hypersonic technologies, quantum-
enabled Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance
(C4ISR), defence manufacturing scale-up, aerospace advancements, and strategic partnerships.
The conclave also featured an exhibition from Indian private industry, MSMEs, and startups in advancing
defence innovation.****
VK/Savvy
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