- VIMARSH 2026 pushes industry beyond production into research, design, testing and certification
- Rajnath Singh unveils policy package to cut entry barriers, fund deep-tech ventures and open DRDO testing facilities
- Nine technology-transfer agreements handed to 13 manufacturing partners as India accelerates indigenous defence production
- Software source-code sharing framework seeks to sharpen software-defined warfare and tackle technology obsolescence
- Over 2,300 DRDO technology transfers to 1,100+ industries signal widening private-sector footprint
NE DEFENCE BUREAU
NEW DELHI, SEPT 15
India’s next leap in defence self-reliance will not be built by large defence manufacturers alone. It will emerge when DRDO’s technology, industry’s manufacturing scale, start-ups’ agility and the talent of India’s youth converge into one integrated ecosystem. That was the strategic message from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at VIMARSH 2026, as the government moved to place MSMEs and deep-tech start-ups closer to the heart of the country’s defence supply chain.
Singh unveiled a package of policy initiatives aimed at lowering technical and financial entry barriers for MSMEs and deep-tech start-ups, including direct funding, incubation support and dedicated access to DRDO testing facilities. A standardised and secure framework for sharing DRDO-developed software source codes with licensee industries was also launched to accelerate software-defined defence capabilities and address technology obsolescence.
Nine Licensing Agreements for Transfer of Technology (LAToTs) were handed over to 13 manufacturing partners, enabling commercial production of advanced defence systems. Strategic MoUs with the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) and Laghu Udyog Bharati (LUB) were also exchanged to widen industry outreach and deepen participation at the grassroots level.
Beyond the buyer-seller relationship
Singh made it clear that the DRDO-industry relationship must evolve from a conventional production arrangement into a full-spectrum technology partnership spanning research, design, testing, certification and manufacturing.
“DRDO possesses knowledge and technology, the industry has scale and manufacturing capability, start-ups bring innovation and agility, and the youth hold the dream of a New India. When these four forces converge and move forward together, no goal is impossible,” he said.
The Defence Minister said the larger objective of Viksit Bharat extends beyond economic strength.
“Viksit Bharat goal is to build an economically strong, technologically self-reliant, socially inclusive, environmentally sustainable and strategically secure nation.”
By 2047, he said, India must achieve Aatmanirbharta in critical technologies, substantially increase indigenous content, multiply defence exports and establish a robust presence in global supply chains.
MSMEs and start-ups move to centre stage
Singh described MSMEs and start-ups as the new flag-bearers of innovation, underlining their growing role in developing components, sub-systems and advanced technologies for major defence platforms.
He stressed the need to integrate them into the defence supply chain alongside large industries, particularly in emerging domains such as AI, drones, cyber security, quantum computing, hypersonics and directed-energy technologies.
“MSMEs are the backbone of the Indian economy and a critical strength of the defence ecosystem. They need to consistently focus on quality, delivery, innovation, and global standards, while expanding partnerships with large companies,” Singh said.
The new policy measures seek to promote industry-led R&D, provide funding and mentorship to start-ups and MSMEs, strengthen academia-industry collaboration and encourage investment in futuristic technologies.
Singh pointed to reforms such as the Positive Indigenisation Lists, Make in India, iDEX and ADITI, besides the decision to earmark 25% of the defence R&D budget for the private sector, as key measures aimed at reducing import dependence.
He also highlighted the Technology Development Fund and the iDEX ecosystem, under which start-ups are developing solutions based on actual operational requirements of the Armed Forces.
Technology ownership as strategic power
Singh linked technological self-reliance directly with national security, arguing that countries leading in critical technologies will possess the strategic advantage in future warfare.
“Companies that invest in new and emerging technologies today will become the leaders of tomorrow as in future warfare, the country that leads in technology will secure the strategic advantage,” he said.
As India transitions from a defence importer towards an exporter, he identified drones, AI and cyber security as areas where MSMEs and start-ups can accelerate innovation and strengthen the country’s technological and strategic capabilities.
2,300-plus ToTs reshape the industrial base
Defence Secretary and Secretary, Department of Defence R&D, Rajesh Kumar Singh said VIMARSH 2026, themed ‘Varta se Vikas’, was designed to connect cutting-edge commercial innovation with national defence readiness.
The objective, he said, was to move the defence ecosystem away from a transactional buyer-seller relationship towards a collaborative, co-created technology ecosystem.
“The expansion of technology transfer has not only facilitated the establishment of parallel production lines to meet the Defence Forces’ requirements, thereby directly benefiting MSMEs, but has also helped alleviate the constraints that previously hindered a limited manufacturing base.”
The scale of DRDO’s technology-transfer programme is significant: more than 2,300 Technology Transfers have so far been handed over to over 1,100 industries.
The Defence Secretary also said technologies relating to approximately 50 DRDO-developed missiles have been made available to industry to encourage wider participation.
From missiles to software: shortening the innovation cycle
DRDO also signed a contract with the Quality Council of India for System for Advanced Manufacturing Assessment and Rating (SAMAR) 2.0, aimed at benchmarking the manufacturing maturity of domestic defence enterprises.
The newly launched software source-code framework could become equally significant as defence platforms increasingly depend on software, embedded systems and digital architecture. Secure access for licensee industries is expected to facilitate faster upgrades, maintenance and obsolescence management.
During technical sessions, DRDO technological clusters presented roadmaps covering Aeronautical Systems, Missiles, Armaments, Microelectronics and Naval Systems. DRDO headquarters also outlined measures to simplify procedural compliance, accelerate facility access and compress licensing timelines.
A high-level panel involving DRDO, the Department of Defence Production and the Armed Forces examined faster technology absorption, Development-cum-Production Partner models and rapid induction of indigenous technologies into operational service.
VIMARSH seeks a new defence manufacturing architecture
A book titled Defence Systems for Resilient Bharat – Advancing Aatmanirbharta in Defence, documenting major DRDO defence systems developed between 2014 and 2026, was released at the event.
Guidelines for Human Resource Outsourcing Service Contracts in DRDO were also unveiled, covering service specifications, procurement, selection of service providers, contract administration, performance monitoring and statutory compliance.
With more than 250 defence industry leaders, industry chamber representatives, senior civil and military officials and DRDO scientists attending, VIMARSH 2026 sought to establish a more agile, transparent and collaborative architecture for private-sector participation.
The strategic shift is unmistakable: India is no longer looking merely for manufacturers to produce indigenous weapons; it is building an ecosystem capable of conceiving, designing, testing, certifying, producing, upgrading and exporting them.
That is the real significance of VIMARSH—turning technology transfer into technology ownership, and technology ownership into strategic power.
