Defence Tech 2025 Seminar STRIDE Begins in Pune, Defence Secretary Stresses Faster Procurement and Indigenous Capability
Pune, 12th September 2025: The Southern Command of the Indian Army today inaugurated the Defence Tech 2025 Seminar – STRIDE (Synergy of Technology, Research, Industry & Defence Ecosystem) at the RSAMI, Pune. The four-day seminar, themed “Atmanirbharta through Partnership – Industry, Academia, Armed Forces,” has brought together top stakeholders from academia, industry, research organisations, and the Armed Forces to strengthen collaboration and accelerate indigenous defence technology development.
The event was inaugurated in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, IAS, who attended as Chief Guest, along with Lt. Gen Dhiraj Seth, PVSM, AVSM, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command, senior Army leadership, and industry representatives.
In his keynote address, Defence Secretary Singh underlined the strategic need to match India’s growing economic power with technological and defence capabilities. He said that in the current geopolitical climate, “technological superiority and industrial strength often determine outcomes in warfare,” adding that India’s vision of becoming a $30 trillion economy by 2047 required a strong defence industry ecosystem.
Singh highlighted India’s defence capital expenditure (capex) as a crucial driver of both security and economic growth. Citing data, he said, “Every one crore spent in defence capex generates a multiplier effect of 2.45 on the GDP.”
He also noted that last year, India signed defence contracts worth ₹2 lakh crore — the highest ever — and that 81% of the capex in 2024–25 was spent domestically, reflecting the success of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ in defence production.
Emphasising the need for speed and reform in procurement, Singh said the Ministry of Defence is rewriting its Revenue Procurement Manual (2009) and the Defence Acquisition Procedure Manual (2000) to make processes “more dynamic, proactive, and outcome-focused.” He stressed that delays of two years in finalising contracts were “not viable in the age of disruptive technologies.”
Calling for a greater role of private sector and start-ups, Singh pointed out that India’s defence ecosystem includes 16 Defence PSUs, around 400 licensed companies, and nearly 14,000 MSMEs, many of them clustered in Pune. He urged industry to invest more in R&D, capital equipment, and engineering manpower to sustain competitiveness in the global defence market.
He also highlighted India’s defence exports, which have grown 30 times in the past 15 years, and mentioned that foreign investment, including 100% FDI ventures, is now reshaping the sector.
“Unless we create a level playing field, enhance competition, and reduce entry barriers, India will lag behind in the technological race,” Singh warned. He added that the government is already removing PSU monopolies in key areas like munitions to encourage private sector participation.
The seminar will feature multiple sessions and panel discussions focusing on emerging technologies, dual-use innovation, academia-industry linkages, and start-up engagement in defence.
Singh concluded his address by stating: “This seminar is of great importance because it brings together academia, DRDO, industry, and the Armed Forces in a joint effort to meet our capability requirements. India is at a tipping point where our defence industry can become a bedrock for wider industrial modernisation.”
