New Delhi, Oct 14: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday that IITs can make a significant contribution to the development of India’s indigenous defence capabilities by bringing academic research closer to the operational requirements of the armed forces and the technological needs of industry.
In his address at the launch of the Greater Than Us campaign by IIT Kanpur to raise $1 billion by March 2029, of which Rs 4,155 crore, nearly half of the goal, has already been committed by alumni, donors, corporate partners, and government, coming together to build an institution for the nation, Rajnath Singh emphasised that strengthening indigenous technological capabilities is strategically crucial as artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, unmanned platforms, advanced sensors, cybersecurity, and space-based technologies are reshaping military dynamics.
“In this environment, our ability to develop, adopt, and continuously appraise technology indigenously is of strategic importance. This requires close collaboration among the armed forces, DRDO, academic institutions, defence public sector undertakings, private industry, and startups,” he observed.
He pointed out that the DRDO Industry-Academia Centre of Excellence is an example of this approach. “I am also encouraged by the proposal to establish a School of Defence Technology at the institute. Such initiatives can deepen collaboration between academic research and defence requirements, helping translate scientific advances into technologies of strategic importance,” the minister added.
The Narendra Modi-led government’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ commitment lies at the centre of its ‘Viksit Bharat’ vision as it aims to create a technologically capable, economically competitive, innovative and confident nation, which is not just a consumer of knowledge & technology but an active contributor to their creation, he said.
Rajnath Singh highlighted the importance of strong institutions of higher education and research in realising this vision, noting that the government has made sustained efforts to strengthen the ecosystem, whose growing contribution to innovation and entrepreneurship is reflected in the IIT ecosystem’s support for over 6,000 start-ups, 56 unicorns, and nearly 5,000 patents.
“Institutions such as IIT Kanpur play a significant role in advancing India’s development by expanding scientific capabilities, strengthening the innovation ecosystem and creating solutions that benefit society,” he added. Acknowledging the initiatives undertaken in this direction, the Defence Minister made special mention of IIT Kanpur’s DRDO-Industry-Academia Centre of Excellence and welcomed the proposal to establish a School of Defence Technologies at the Institute.
He added that the proposal to set up a National Military Drone Technology Hub at IIT Kanpur, in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence to fast-track indigenisation and innovation to gain a combat edge, has made significant progress and its approval process is nearing completion. Rajnath Singh also referred to the C3i Cybersecurity Technology Innovation Hub at IIT Kanpur and the institute’s medical school, terming them significant initiatives in cybersecurity, healthcare and medical technology innovation.
He stated that research in emerging areas such as advanced materials, semiconductors, quantum technology and environmental sustainability would be critical to addressing national priorities and developing future technologies. Stressing the need for sustained investment in research and innovation, he referred to the government’s approval of the Rs 1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation Scheme to catalyse private-sector investment in research & advanced technologies. “While public policy can create an enabling environment, institutions must nurture talent and generate ideas, and industry must help translate innovations into practical applications and scale them up,: he said.
IANS