Defence imperative for strategic sovereignty

India needs to have full-spectrum self-reliance in defence.

- YEZDI NAGPOREWALLA Chief Executive Officer, KPMG in India

AS INDIA APPROACHES 100 years of independence in 2047, we must ask: how sovereign are our defence capabilities? In a world where supply chain disruptions, cyber warfare, and grey-zone threats define modern conflict, India's defence transformation is not optional; it is existential.

Recent progress, strategic dialogues, rising exports, and large-scale procurement are evident. But are we moving fast and boldly enough to lead?

Our defence manufacturing aspirations, encapsulated in the vision of Atmanirbhar, Agrani, and Atulya Bharat 2047 (a KPMG-CII report), are rooted in a clear understanding that strategic autonomy begins with domestic capability. India's focus on building a strong, self-reliant defence base has gained significant momentum. Policies like Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 and reserving 75% of capital procurement for domestic sources have laid the foundation for increased indigenous production. Yet, the journey towards full-spectrum self-reliance is far from complete.

Reliance on imports for systems like propulsion and avionics makes it imperative to scale domestic R&D to 10-15% of total defence spend. It is only through R&D that we can ensure that long-term capability development is both resilient and scalable.

India has made remarkable strides in defence exports, growing nearly 30-fold over the past decade and we aim to rise from 28th to the Top 5 arms exporters by 2038 and for this India must ensure quality compliance, global certification, and strategic branding. This is not just an economic objective but about positioning India as a trusted and credible contributor to global peace and stability.