Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth on Thursday said that nearly seventeen thousand Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises are now connected with the defence sector, underlining the scale of indigenous industry participation in India’s push for self reliance in defence manufacturing.
The Minister made the remarks while speaking to the media following a joint interactive workshop on indigenisation themed SANKALP, jointly organised by the Indian Air Force and the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers. SANKALP, an acronym standing for self reliance, atmanirbhar bharat, native development and knowledge linked partnership, brought together representatives from the armed forces, industry bodies and start up communities to discuss ways of deepening indigenous manufacturing capacity within the defence ecosystem.
On the occasion, Seth highlighted that the government’s singular objective at present is to make the entire defence sector indigenous and self reliant, reflecting the broader Atmanirbhar Bharat push that has guided defence procurement policy in recent years. He underlined that the Air Force, the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers, industry players and start up communities share a strong resolve to help make India a developed nation by 2047, aligning the indigenisation drive with the government’s long term national development vision.
Addressing participants at the seminar, Seth said the aim of indigenisation is to create a stronger defence ecosystem where innovation leads the way, transforming ideas into useful products that further strengthen the country’s defence capabilities. He framed the growing MSME involvement as evidence that India’s defence manufacturing base is widening well beyond large public and private sector players to include smaller enterprises with specialised technical capabilities.
During the event, Seth also launched a book titled SANKALP 2026, Problem Statements of the Indian Air Force, in the presence of Air Chief Marshal AP Singh and other senior officials. The publication is expected to serve as a reference document outlining specific technical challenges faced by the Air Force that industry and start ups can work toward solving, effectively creating a structured channel between military requirements and private sector innovation.
The Defence Ministry said the event provided a platform for deliberations on the Indian Air Force’s indigenisation priorities, sustainment requirements and technological advancements, reinforcing the government’s continuing emphasis on strengthening domestic defence production capacity ahead of the 2047 target.
