Innovation & Indigenisation To Power India's Defence Future

As geopolitical fault lines deepen—from Eastern Europe and West Asia to the Indo-Pacific and beyond—India must navigate a world where traditional alliances are under strain, non-state actors are gaining asymmetric capabilities, and technological disruption is redefining the battlefield.

- By Ashmita Sethi

Amidst a world order where global security is entering a period of prolonged uncertainty, India's defence strategy is also undergoing a decisive shift—away from dependence, and toward strategic autonomy rooted in innovation and indigenisation.

But this shift isn’t just about sovereignty—it’s also about resilience in the face of global supply chain disruptions, tariff uncertainties, and the rising cost of importing defence platforms and critical spares.

Shift towards Self-reliance

For decades, India’s military modernisation efforts leaned heavily on imports. Today, that model is no longer tenable. Not only does it expose critical vulnerabilities in times of crisis, but it also constrains long-term capability development. Recognising this, the Government of India has anchored its defence planning around Atmanirbharta.

Further, the Covid-19 pandemic laid bare the vulnerabilities in global supply chains. Lead times for critical repairs and replacement of components has expanded 5x or more. Today, persistent bottlenecks in logistics, shortages in defence-grade materials, and complex export controls from manufacturing nations have made defence imports more expensive, more uncertain, and less reliable than ever before.

Rising protectionist policies with impact on geopolitical tariffs further complicate access to essential components. For India, this translates into delays in readiness, escalating costs, and growing strategic risk.