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Informist, Thursday, May 29, 2025

NEW DELHI – Department of Defence Research and Development Secretary Samir V. Kamat Thursday highlighted the significance of research and development in future wars and said the defence ministry would spend 10% of its budget on research and development over the next five years.

"Today, we invest 5% of our defence budget in research and development. We will increase this investment to 10% in the next five years," Kamat said, while addressing the Confederation of Indian Industry's Annual Business Summit 2025. India's defence budget for FY26 is INR 6.81 trillion.

Referring to Operation Sindoor, Kamat said it had shown the importance of technology in fighting future wars. "If you have to win future battles, you will have to invest in research and development," he said, adding that the private sector should come forward and invest in research and development.

Addressing the gathering, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh also emphasised the need to invest more in research and development. He also flagged delays in completion of various defence projects, saying, "Not a single project I think has been completed on time."

"The character of war is changing. New technologies are coming every day. We need to increase spending on research and development. Every industry should come with some plan. We need to create some incentive, some environment to get the best people for the job," he said.

Chief of Naval Staff Admiral D.K. Tripathi said seas would remain the engine of India's growth in the future as the country looks to become the world's third-largest economy.

"95% of our trade by volume and 88% of energy sources come through the sea," Tripathi said. He also underlined three priorities the forces are broadly focussed on — indigenisation, innovation, and integration — and added that the forces were committed to becoming fully self-reliant by 2047.

Earlier in the day, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had said India was not only making fighter jets and missile-equipped aircraft, but also preparing itself for new-age technology warfare.

Singh noted the defence sector's pivotal contribution to India's economic and strategic rise. Make in India was crucial to national security, Singh said, adding that Indian-made systems, sub-systems, and services were now being exported to over 100 countries.  End

Reported by Kuldeep Singh

Edited by Nishant Maher

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