Defence minister Rajnath cited ongoing global conflicts to underline the strategic urgency of self reliance in drone manufacturing and supply chains. He emphasised that changing geopolitical dynamics have exposed vulnerabilities that can affect operational readiness and national security. The minister urged a strengthened domestic industrial base to ensure continuity of critical unmanned systems. He urged coordination with allied nations and domestic suppliers to build robust, secure supply chains for critical components.

He outlined plans to incentivise research and development and to provide fiscal and regulatory support to manufacturers and start-ups. The strategy aims to promote greater participation from private industry and to accelerate technology transfer and production scaling. Enhanced testing facilities and training programmes were cited as priorities to bridge capability gaps. Regulatory reforms were proposed to reduce lead times and to provide predictable frameworks for investment decisions.

He noted that indigenous drones will be deployed across surveillance, logistics and disaster relief roles to bolster resilience and operational flexibility. Emphasis was placed on developing home grown sensors, propulsion systems and artificial intelligence to reduce foreign dependence. Officials were encouraged to streamline procurement and certification to enable faster deployment and to open avenues for exports and job creation. Industry representatives were expected to align design standards with operational requirements to ensure interoperability and maintainability.

The minister indicated that funding mechanisms and public private partnerships will be expanded to support pilot production and scaling with focus on quality standards and lifecycle support. Collaboration with academic institutions and defence research organisations was highlighted to nurture talent and to accelerate prototype to production cycles. He presented self reliance in drone capability as a strategic objective that will be pursued through coordinated policy action and sustained industry engagement. Timelines for key milestones were indicated as subject to review to reflect testing outcomes and evolving strategic needs.