"Self-reliance means design capabilities remain with India": Defence Production Secy Sanjeev Kumar
New Delhi, May 20
Secretary of Defence Production, Sanjeev Kumar, on Wednesday stated that self-reliance in the defence sector means that the supply chain remains in India's control, even if it is not within the geographical boundary of the country.
In an interview with ANI, Sanjeev Kumar said that beyond manufacturing, the vision of self-reliance applies to the design capabilities, having components and changes in a weapon as per India armed forces' requirements.
He said, "If one looks at this issue from the angle of an integrated world, then it is almost impossible that any country would be able to create an entire supply chain within the geographical boundary of its own. But the fact remains that the supply chain, if it is not even the geographical boundary of the country, should be in our control. And there should be enough redundancy. If A fails, then we should be able to rely on B. And within that, critical technologies, more and more, should be located within the country. Not only in manufacturing - I go one step ahead also - self-reliance means not only manufacturing, but the design capabilities. So that intellectually, we understand why we are doing this, and we can change that component, we can change that weapon."
He discussed the significance of unique technology in an uncertain world, with control remaining in "Indian hand, in the Indian mind" to achieve the goal of self-reliance.
Kumar said, "When we have design control also, then we can replicate it very fast. Second, we can create weapons which reuse those unique technologies, which probably others are not aware. Right now, when we use part of the technology which is being used by other countries, I won't use the word secrecy, but the surprise element is already being known to others, maybe your own friendly countries, not to your adversaries. You can't really trust this uncertain world. So, real self-reliance, where we are going, where our own scientists, our own technocrats, our own engineers, not only design, not only manufacture, but also design and develop within the country, and the control remains in the Indian hand, in the Indian mind."
In the wake of wars in Europe and West Asia, Kumar noted that several countries are echoing the need for self-reliance, similar to the vision set under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"All of them have started talking the same language, which India started talking under the leadership of the Prime Minister, that is, self-reliance or various versions of this. Every country is talking about that because all of them are realising that during the situation when war becomes widely prevalent, then getting allies and getting a supply chain free from any disruption becomes very difficult. So it's better to create at least a minimum type of capabilities within the country so that it becomes a credible deterrence to the adversaries. So having a good military-industrial complex is also a good deterrence to adversaries," he said.
India has aimed for self-reliance in the defence sector. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on several occasions, has said that India has begun exporting weapons and equipment, coming a long way from being a country which imported.
— ANI
Reader Comments
This is a refreshingly honest take. Many people think self-reliance means "Made in India" stickers on imported parts, but design control is the real game-changer. If we can't modify a weapon system ourselves during a crisis, we're still dependent. The Ukraine war showed how quickly supply chains break.
I appreciate the emphasis on redundancy too. Having backup systems and multiple suppliers is something all Indian companies need to learn, not just defence. The "A fails, then rely on B" approach is practical and necessary. But let's be honest - how many of our current projects actually have that level of redundancy?
Intelligent perspective from the Secretary. The "Indian hand, Indian mind" framework is spot-on. My experience in engineering teaches me that true innovation comes from owning the design process. Copying or assembling doesn't build long-term capability.
Good to hear this vision, but I wish the government would also focus on reducing bureaucracy in defence procurement. We have brilliant Indian scientists and engineers, but the red tape often kills innovation. Self-reliance needs not just design capability but also the freedom for our labs to experiment and fail fast.
The global context he raises is crucial. Even developed nations are scrambling for self-reliance now. India was ahead of the curve in recognizing this under Modi. However, let's not forget that true self-reliance also means investing in R&D with consistent funding over decades, not just political announcements.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.