Spotlight on defence tech

HOW DEEPTECH STARTUPS ARE HELPING TO MODERNISE INDIA’S DEFENCE CAPABILITIES

- SUDHIR CHOWDHARY

INDIA REMAINS A top global defence importer, while China, with a defence budget three times larger than India’s, imports only a fraction.

To counter this asymmetry, self-reliance and indigenisation of defence technology becomes vital. While the private sector plays a crucial role, already contributing 21% to total defence production, so that 65% of defence equipment is now manufactured domestically, of late, deeptech startups are chipping in with drones, Al-based surveillance, and electronic warfare systems, to reduce import dependency.