In his address at the CEOs Roundtable during Aero India 2025 in Bengaluru, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called on global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to seize the opportunities offered by India’s expanding defence ecosystem and collaborate on innovative solutions to address the evolving security challenges posed by a volatile global geopolitical landscape.
He highlighted the complex and fragile global security situation, where traditional rules-based orders are being challenged and technology is rapidly evolving, creating new opportunities as well as vulnerabilities.
“In today’s world, the communication and data sharing involved in military operations have become far more complex. The use of space-based navigation, surveillance systems, and drones in modern conflicts means that defence strategies must integrate manned, unmanned, and autonomous systems,” said Singh. He stressed that India’s defence manufacturing must focus on countering these emerging challenges to ensure preparedness for future warfare.
Drawing inspiration from the great Indian strategist Kautilya, he emphasized the moral responsibility to protect the nation’s people and territory in an increasingly hostile environment. He reassured global OEMs that the Indian government is taking all necessary steps to equip the Armed Forces and promote self-reliance in defence manufacturing. “We are creating a robust, efficient, and future-ready defence industrial ecosystem to safeguard our national security,” he added.
The CEOs Roundtable focused on ‘Enabling Defence Cooperation through Global Engagement (EDGE)’ and featured participation from leading international OEMs such as Airbus (France), Ultra Maritime (USA), Rafael Advanced Defence Systems (Israel), Mitsubishi (Japan), and others. It also saw contributions from Indian giants like Bharat Forge Ltd, Mahindra Defence Systems Ltd, and BrahMos Aerospace, who shared their future plans for collaborations, joint ventures, and R&D in India.