Rajnath pitches for ‘digital sovereignty’

Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday called upon the military to extend its approach of self-reliance to the digital domain for control over algorithms, data architectures and encrypted networks.

- OUR CORRESPONDENT

“True strategic autonomy will come only when our code is as indigenous as our hardware,” he said in an address at a defence conclave.

Singh underlined the need to not only acquire new innovations, but create the conditions where niche products thrive through sound processes, agile institutions, and a spirit of collaboration.

He pitched for an approach that unites soldiers, the scientists, the startups and the strategists.

The defence minister underscored the need to extend “Aatmanirbharta” (self-reliance) beyond manufacturing indigenous systems to “digital sovereignty” saying control over the algorithms, data, and chips that power platforms was crucial.

"We are encouraging secure, indigenous software stacks, trusted semiconductor supply chains, and homegrown AI models trained on Indian data."