India's efforts to achieve 'atmanirbharta' in defence entering its second phase: Rajnath Singh

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said India's efforts to achieve 'atmanirbharta' in defence are entering the "second phase", asserting that innovators will play the role of "impact players" in the endeavour.

In his address at the plenary session of the Indian Navy's annual seminar Swavlamban 2026 here, he also suggested building a roadmap of specified areas in which self-reliance is needed, and the timelines for achieving those goals.

The Navy is hosting the fifth edition of its flagship seminar at the Manekshaw Centre here on October 26 and 27.


Chief of Defence Staff Gen N S Raja Subramani, Army Chief Gen Dhiraj Seth and Navy Chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan were also present on the dais.

The defence minister said the sector, in its bid to achieve self-reliance, has "earned good marks" in its phase one, and now it is entering its second phase.

He said in this next phase of 'atmanirbharta' in defence, focus should be on delivering outcomes which are of "top end" and of the "state-of-the-art" level.

Efforts in the second phase should also aim to achieve cost-effectiveness, global competitiveness, high quality, and output which meet the operational requirements in a larger way.

Singh also asserted that innovators will play the role of "impact players" in this phase.

Addressing the plenary session, Navy Chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan pitched for accelerating the pace of translating innovation into operational capabilities for the naval force, and urged all stakeholders to endeavour to stay ahead of the technology curve.

Advances in artificial intelligence and autonomous systems should be leveraged to bolster naval capabilities, he said.

Vice Chief of Naval Staff (VCNS) Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar, in his address at the inaugural ceremony of the seminar, pitched for shortening the "innovation to integration" cycle to augment naval capabilities.

The vice admiral referred to recent conflicts, from short-term engagements to protracted ones, including the conflict in Ukraine, and emphasised how drone production there has grown manifold in the last several years.

"The operational environment is changing rapidly with advances in artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and cyber capabilities, reshaping the character of warfare, and in such a scenario a technological advantage can be short-lived," he said.

Vice Admiral Kochhar said the seminar will help strengthen existing partnerships and explore new areas of collaboration. He added that it will translate ingenuity into "meaningful capabilities at sea".

Secretary, defence production in the Ministry of Defence, Sanjeev Kumar, in his address, urged all stakeholders to work together to bolster efforts towards greater "atmanirbharta (self-reliance)" in defence.