New Delhi, March 19 (AHN) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday that India must work in a mission mode to emerge as a global hub of indigenous drone manufacturing in the next few years to ensure strategic autonomy, enhance defence preparedness and make the country Aatmanirbhar in view of the present geopolitical uncertainties.

Addressing the inaugural session of the two-day National Defence Industries Conclave at Manekshaw Centre here, the minister asserted that the ongoing conflicts, ranging from the Russia-Ukraine war to the tensions between Iran and Israel, are proof that drones and counter-drone technologies are destined to play a pivotal role in future warfare, and self-reliance in drone manufacturing is essential not merely at the product level, but at the component level as well.

“From the drone’s moulds to its software, engines, and batteries, everything must be manufactured in India. This is no easy task. In most countries where drones are manufactured, a significant number of critical components are currently imported from China,” he pointed out.

Rajnath Singh added that while the creation of any nation’s defence industrial ecosystem relies on the contributions of large industries, MSMEs, start-ups, and innovators, it is equally driven by a clear policy push from the government, tailored to meet the country’s specific defence requirements.

“As of February 2026, approximately 676 start-ups, MSMEs, and individual innovators have joined the defence innovation ecosystem since the inception of iDEX in 2018, and as many as 548 contracts have been signed. Of these, 58 prototypes have received clearance for procurement, valued at around Rs 3,853 crore. Furthermore, 45 procurement contracts have already been signed, worth nearly Rs 2,326 crore,” the minister said.

As part of the inaugural session, the minister launched the 14th edition of the Defence India Start-up Challenge (DISC-14) and the 4th edition of ADITI challenges under the iDEX framework. A total of 107 problem statements, including 82 under DISC-14 & 25 under ADITI Challenges 4.0, from the defence forces, the Indian Coast Guard, and the Defence Space Agency were launched to promote breakthrough innovations in various domains.

A new initiative featuring 101 innovation challenges from defence PSUs was also launched by Rajnath Singh to encourage design-led innovation by MSMEs and start-ups.

Rajnath Singh described iDEX and ADITI (Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX as game-changer initiatives, through which start-ups, innovators, and MSMEs are provided with the opportunity to develop novel solutions to meet the specific requirements of the Defence Forces.

He emphasised that MSMEs are today actively engaged in fields such as Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Automation, and Advanced Manufacturing, representing a monumental and positive transformation.

He added that the number of MSMEs in the country stood at approximately 4.67 crore in 2012-13, and the figure has reached nearly 8 crore, according to recent data. This growth, he said, demonstrates the continuous rise in the spirit of entrepreneurship within the country, and small industries are now playing a significant role in driving economic growth.

In his remarks on the occasion, Secretary, Defence Production, Sanjeev Kumar highlighted that the conclave aims to promote advanced manufacturing technologies, and integration of MSMEs in the production ecosystem and entire value chain starting from design, development and manufacturing. A digital database of industries working in the defence sector, named Srijan Deep, has also been created, wherein over 40,000 industries have been listed to increase the resource for R&D, he added.

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, DRDO Chairman Samir V. Kamat and other senior officials were present on the occasion.