IAF stresses collaboration, indigenous innovation to strengthen India's Aerospace Capability
New Delhi, July 30
Air Marshal Sanjiv Ghuratia, Officer-in-Charge, Indian Air Force, on Thursday highlighted the importance of collaboration between the armed forces, defence industry, research organisations and certification agencies to build a stronger and self-reliant aerospace ecosystem in India.
Addressing a workshop organised by the Indian Air Force and the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM), Air Marshal Ghuratia said that the future of India's aerospace capability cannot be achieved by any single organisation working independently, but through collective efforts, knowledge sharing, trust and a shared national vision.
He expressed gratitude to the Minister of State for Defence for supporting initiatives aimed at developing a robust indigenous defence manufacturing ecosystem and said such efforts are helping translate the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat into operational capabilities.
Speaking on the theme of the seminar, 'Sankalp', Air Marshal Ghuratia said the word represents determination and collective commitment towards self-reliance, indigenous development and knowledge-based partnerships -- the foundation for India's future aerospace growth.
He emphasised that self-reliance in defence cannot be achieved without indigenous technology development, while indigenous innovation requires strong partnerships between industry, academia, research institutions, certification bodies and the armed forces.
Highlighting the changing nature of warfare, Air Marshal Ghuratia said emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, predictive maintenance, quantum technologies and cyber resilience are already shaping modern military capabilities.
He cautioned that dependence on external supply chains for critical defence technologies poses a strategic risk, adding that self-reliance in aerospace has become a national security requirement rather than merely a developmental goal.
Referring to the teachings of the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, Air Marshal Ghuratia said excellence in duty remains a guiding principle and that for the Indian Air Force, excellence is reflected through operational readiness, engineering accuracy and continuous innovation.
He acknowledged the significant progress made by India's defence manufacturing sector over the past decade but said challenges remain in achieving complete technological independence.
"Strategic capability cannot always be measured through conventional commercial parameters. Certain technologies must be developed because they are essential for national security and not only because of market demand," he said.
Air Marshal Ghuratia highlighted that global aerospace advancements have shown that major technological breakthroughs emerge when governments, defence forces, industry and research institutions work together with a common strategic objective.
He said India has all the necessary components for building a strong indigenous defence ecosystem and that the key challenge now is to integrate these capabilities into a unified framework to achieve technological sovereignty.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As an aerospace engineer who's worked with both Indian and foreign suppliers, I can tell you the gap is real. But Air Marshal Ghuratia's 'Sankalp' theme is spot-on. We need certification agencies and industry to work in tandem, not as adversaries. The Gita reference about excellence in duty is powerful. Let's hope this workshop translates into actual policies and not just another seminar with photo-ops.
It's heartening to see our armed forces embracing indigenous innovation. But let's be honest — we've heard these promises before. The real test will be whether DRDO, HAL, and private players can actually deliver on timelines and quality. The IAF can't keep flying Russian and French jets forever. Time to put our money where our mouth is on Aatmanirbhar Bharat. 😊
The point about strategic capability not being measured by commercial parameters is brilliant. In India, we often undervalue defence R&D because it doesn't show immediate market returns. Countries like Israel and the US invest heavily in technologies that may never reach the market but secure their sovereignty. We need a mindset shift in our bureaucracy. The IAF leadership seems to get it — now the babus need to follow. 👏
Love the focus on knowledge-based partnerships! But I worry about our academic institutions — are they really producing the kind of talent needed for cutting-edge aerospace? We need more industry-academia tie-ups, especially in AI and quantum. The IAF should also look at startups; there's so much innovation happening in the Indian startup ecosystem that can be leveraged. Let's not limit ourselves to just the big defence PSUs.
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