‘Takshak among Rakshaks’: Doyens of defence highlight India’s real sectoral potential, call for greater investment and faith in domestic manufacturing

Bengaluru: Manoj Jain, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) has said that India needs reforms in its approach to defence innovation as the nation is capable of delivering far more advanced and cutting-edge solutions than it currently does, with world-class infrastructure, challenging assignments and competitive compensation.

If these were given, India can secure its place as a global defence powerhouse by 2047, he said, while delivering a speech during CII AeroDef Tech Summit 2025 in Bengaluru recently.

“There is also a need to attract and retain top technocrats, including IIT and NIT gold medalists,” he said. The summit was organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry, Southern Region (CII-SR), and its theme was “Defining Tomorrow: Tech-Driven Defence for a Developed India”.

Jain also underscored the necessity of scaling up investments in deep-tech startups and defence R&D.

“While current funding schemes such as the government’s ₹25-crore Aatmanirbhar initiatives are commendable, developing deployable high-end technologies demands far larger commitments of ₹100 crore and beyond with the acceptance that only a fraction may succeed,” he added.

Air Vice-Marshal Prem Kumar, in his special address, described the theme as both timely and transformative. Tracing lessons from India’s past, from the Mughal mastery of gunpowder, to British naval superiority, he underlined how neglecting military technology historically imperiled India’s sovereignty.

He also stressed that air dominance invariably determined the tempo of war, enabling rapid deployment and precision strikes, while space and cyber capabilities form critical layers of deterrence.

Sandeep Nanduri, Managing Director of TIDCO, in his keynote address, showcased Tamil Nadu’s emergence as India’s most industrialised state and a powerhouse across sectors including automobiles, electronics and renewable energy.

“With a GSDP of nearly USD 370 billion and double-digit growth at 11.19 percent this year, Tamil Nadu has consistently led the nation in exports, ranking number one in electronics for three consecutive years,” he added.  

He highlighted Tamil Nadu’s leadership in EV manufacturing, accounting for 66 percent of India’s electric two-wheeler output and its pioneering role as a Defence Corridor since 2019, where over ₹20,000 crore worth MoUs have already been signed, attracting ₹5,000 crore in investments.

Arun T Ramchandani, summit chairman and Head – Precision Engineering and Systems, Larsen & Toubro Limited, said, “India’s defence sector has entered a period of unprecedented growth, driven by a strong policy push towards indigenisation and self-reliance with defence production touching a record ₹1.5 trillion in FY24–25, while exports have risen to nearly ₹25,000 crores, reaching over 100 nations.”

“Our national aspiration is to reach ₹3 trillion in defence production and ₹50,000 crore in exports by 2029. This trajectory is being shaped by over 15,000 MSMEs, thriving defence corridors, and fresh investments in deep-tech R&D, signalling India’s determination to build a resilient and globally competitive ecosystem,” he added.

Rabindra Shrikantan, Chairman, CII Karnataka State Council and Managing Director, ASM Technologies, highlighted Karnataka’s pivotal role as the nation’s aerospace and defence hub, accounting for 67 percent of all aircraft and helicopters manufactured for India’s defence services and contributing to over 65 percent of the country’s exports in this sector.