New Delhi, Sep 15 (IANS) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday made a strong pitch for supporting innovation and technological advancement in all sectors, including defence, cyber security, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and others, to strengthen India's defence propects and secure strategic advantage over global peers.Terming technology as one of most powerful tools of 21st century, the Defence Minister said that it has the power to shape country's future and make it self-reliant.Rajnath Singh made these remarks while addressing the DRDO-Industry Synergy Meet VIMARSH 2026 in the national capital, themed 'Varta Se Vikas'.Highlighting that a new wave of defence startups is rising in India, the Defence Minister said, "These startups are giving a fresh direction to the modern defence landscape in areas like drone technology, artificial intelligence, and cyber security. Today's innovation is tomorrow's military capability.""Whoever leads technology today will gain a strategic advantage in future warfare," he added.

Rajnath Singh also urged the nation and its youth to inculcate a habit of self-confidence and self-reliance, saying that a country having its own technology will always have the power to shape its own future."India's Startups and MSMEs have emerged as new flag-bearers of innovation. From deep tech to futuristic technologies, these enterprises are scripting a new story of self-reliance in the defence sector. From research to manufacturing, the role of MSMEs and Startups is extremely crucial in building Aatmanirbhar Bharat," he said.The Defence Minister also called for increased collaboration between the research institutions like DRDO, the industry and also the Armed Forces, for accelerating technology development and achieving self-reliance in defence sector."The defence sector plays a decisive role in achieving the goal of 'Developed India 2047'. When DRDO's technology, the industrial world's manufacturing capability, the innovation of startups, and the aspirations of the youth unite in one direction, India's military capability will reach new heights. This is the 'Collective Strength' of the 'New India'!," Rajnath Singh said in a post on social media platform X.

/ IANS