Pushing for home-grown solutions in the Defence sector, Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat on Tuesday said that India will fight and win the next war through indigenised weapons systems and equipment.
Addressing the 41st DRDO directors conference in New Delhi, Rawat said that the time was ripe to focus on future warfare.
“We are looking at systems for future warfare. We have to start looking at the development of cyber, space, laser, electronic and robotic technologies and artificial intelligence.
Lauding the Defence Research and Development Organisation, the Army chief said that the DRDO has made strides in ensuring that the requirements of the services are met through home-grown solutions.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chairman and Secretary, DRDO Dr G Satheesh Reddy, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh, IAF Chief RKS Bhadauria and senior officers of DRDO and Ministry of Defence were present at the inauguration of 41st DRDO Directors Conference.
Earlier in the day, Singh, accompanied by NSA Ajit Doval and the three chiefs of the armed forces paid tributes former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.
Speaking on the occasion, NSA Ajit Doval said that niche technologies have to be need-based and are something that make India more secure. “We along with our defence services and intelligence agencies have to make a hard assessment on what we need to give us an edge over our adversaries.”
He further asserted that armies that were better equipped always called the shots and decided the destiny of mankind.
“They were always the one which had higher technologies. India’s own historical experience on this has been sad, we were the runner-up. There is no trophy for the runner-up,” the NSA added.
He further added that in the modern world, technology and money are the two things that influence geopolitics. “Who will win depends upon who has preponderance over their adversaries on these two factors. Of the two, technology is more important,” he said.