During the inaugural address at the Delhi Defence Dialogue, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh emphasized India’s transition from a technology consumer to a creator, advocating for a supportive ecosystem that fosters innovation through collaboration among soldiers, scientists, start-ups, and strategists. He outlined the importance of integrating disruptive technologies, such as AI and quantum computing, into a responsive and adaptive defense architecture, underscoring that technological advancements must enhance human judgment rather than replace it. Highlighting initiatives like the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) and the Technology Development Fund (TDF), he called for a focus on digital sovereignty, ensuring that India’s strategic autonomy extends to the control over software and data. The Raksha Mantri also encouraged the Armed Forces to adopt best global practices in various operational domains, stressing that India should cultivate its capacity to innovate and produce high-quality defense solutions domestically, thereby contributing to the broader goals of Aatmanirbharta and Viksit Bharat.