The Indian Army has urgently called on Punjab to enhance its contribution to the defense manufacturing sector, highlighting the state’s negligible share of just 0.01% in military production and research. Maj Gen CS Mann, Additional Director General of the Army Design Bureau, revealed at a recent seminar that out of 116 defense contracts signed by the Army worth Rs 1,08,000 crore in the past two years, only one was from Punjab, which has only one research project valued under Rs 1 crore out of Rs 2,10,000 crore ongoing projects. He stressed the need for Punjab to move beyond traditional industries and invest in emerging technologies like advanced materials, autonomous and AI-enabled systems. To address this, Punjab, under CM Bhagwant Mann, is engaging with HAL and BrahMos for aircraft and missile component manufacturing, planning a 1,200-acre defense industrial park at Rajpura. Drone testing and training infrastructure development are also underway, aiming to integrate Punjab into India’s expanding defense industrial ecosystem. These efforts carry significant strategic implications, strengthening India’s self-reliance and northern defense capabilities amid evolving security challenges.