India pushes joint, drone‑centric defence strategy

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told a defence conclave that modern warfare does not respect silos and that success will depend on rapidly integrating India’s land, sea, air, space and cyber forces with laboratories, industry and start‑ups. He emphasised self‑reliance, faster idea‑to‑prototype‑to‑deployment cycles and joint development of indigenous systems to secure strategic autonomy.

Air Chief Marshal AP Singh echoed the theme, highlighting the rising role of drones and autonomous aerial systems as essential extensions of air power. He noted that warfare has shifted toward decentralised, unmanned capabilities, reducing risk to personnel and requiring continuous innovation and counter‑UAS measures. Both officials underscored the importance of coordination among the three services, citing Operation Sindoor as an example of successful joint response to a terror attack, and called for deeper collaboration with India’s defence industry to indigenise advanced technologies.