Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday, 26 October 2026, called for a second phase of self-reliance in India's defence sector — dubbed 'Aatmanirbharta 2.0' — with a sharper focus on cutting-edge technologies, resilient supply chains, and global competitiveness, framing it as a cornerstone of the Viksit Bharat@2047 vision. Singh made the call while addressing the fifth edition of SWAVLAMBAN, the Indian Navy's Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Seminar, in New Delhi.

What Aatmanirbharta 2.0 Entails

Singh stressed that the next phase must go beyond merely counting indigenous products and instead prioritise quality, efficiency, and affordability. He argued that genuine self-reliance must simultaneously strengthen national security and economic resilience — two objectives that, in his framing, are inseparable.

He called for a dynamic roadmap that sets clear timelines for achieving self-reliance in each defence item, identifies the technologies to be developed, names the industries that will drive innovation, and specifies the resources required to meet these goals.

Naval Shipbuilding and Cost Reduction in Focus

Singh highlighted that demand for naval vessels is steadily rising in the context of an evolving strategic environment in the Indian Ocean Region. Because ship construction is capital-intensive, he said there is an urgent need to explore mechanisms to reduce costs while simultaneously scaling up domestic production capacity.

He underlined the importance of manufacturing products that are cost-effective, operationally superior, and globally competitive — a trio of benchmarks he set as the bar for the second phase of indigenisation.

Supply Chain Resilience as a Strategic Imperative

The Defence Minister described supply chain management as 'not just a technical issue but a strategic imperative' directly tied to national security. He called for proactive assessment of buffer stocks and domestic production capabilities, warning against waiting for a crisis before acting on supply vulnerabilities.

Notably, Singh urged the nation to remain prepared against potential disruptions in supply routes — a remark widely read as referencing geopolitical tensions in India's extended neighbourhood. This is consistent with a broader Centre push to reduce import dependence following procurement delays experienced during earlier global supply shocks.

R&D and Industry-Academia Collaboration

Singh identified Research and Development (R&D) as the central pillar for achieving Aatmanirbharta 2.0, expressing confidence in India's talent pool to develop cutting-edge technologies indigenously with sustained focus and investment. He called for stronger industry-academia collaboration, greater encouragement for R&D in educational institutions, and expanded career opportunities for youth in the innovation space.

He suggested that defence innovators with a 'futuristic vision and scientific discipline' could serve as 'impact players' in pursuing more challenging technological goals — building on the gains of the first phase of self-reliance achieved under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership over the past decade.

Context and What Comes Next

India's defence indigenisation drive has recorded tangible milestones over the last ten years, including positive indigenisation lists that barred imports of hundreds of items and a growing domestic defence export order book. However, critics have noted that several high-end platforms — including fighter engines and advanced sensors — remain import-dependent, making the quality-over-quantity emphasis of Aatmanirbharta 2.0 a direct acknowledgement of those gaps.

With SWAVLAMBAN 2026 bringing together naval planners, industry leaders, and innovators, the seminar is expected to produce actionable recommendations that feed into the Navy's indigenisation roadmap for the next five years.