Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said that German companies are keen to forge partnerships with Indian defence firms, as he urged the industry to excel in areas such as directed energy weapons, hypersonic weapons, underwater domain awareness, space situational awareness, quantum technologies, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).
In his inaugural address at the three-day North Tech Symposium, which began on Monday at Prayagraj, Rajnath Singh recalled his recent visit to Germany, and said that foreign companies are expressing keen interest in forging partnerships with Indian defence firms, which is a testimony to the growing stature of the Indian defence industry in the international market.
He assured the government’s full support to the industry in its endeavors in emerging domains like directed energy and hypersonic weapons, underwater and space, quantum tech, AI and ML. According to him, adaptation to the technological revolution holds the decisive edige in the future warfare landscape.
The Minister emphasised that the government has placed defence research at the center of its priorities, and has endeavored to take it to the next level through the Defence Reseatch and Development Organisation (DRDO).
He pointed out that 25 per cent of the defence R&D budget has been allocated to the industry, academia, and start-ups, and to date, these entities have already utilised over ₹4,500 crore of the budget. He added that a new Transfer of Technology policy has been implemented, wherein the 20 per cent fee, levied earlier, has been completely waived off for Development-cum-Production Partners, Development Partners, and Production Agencies. As a result, DRDO has, so far, transferred over 2,200 technologies to various industries, he said.
The DRDO also, Singh stated, has initiated a policy granting Indian industries free access to its patents, a move that will bolster both their technological capabilities and global competitiveness. “DRDO’s testing facilities have also been opened up for the industries on a payment basis. Every year, hundreds of industries utilise these facilities for R&D support,” he said.
The domestic defence production reached a record high of ₹1.54 lakh crore in Financial Year 2025-26, with defence exports touching an all-time high figure of ₹38,424 crore, he told the gathering of senior officers of armed forces, industry captains and representatives from academia. This rise is poised to accelerate even more, he said, adding that the private sector has made a significant contribution to this achievement.
Published on May 4, 2026