India should become innovator, global leader in advanced tech: Rajnath Singh

Union Minister for Defence Rajnath Singh called for making India a developer, innovator & global leader in advanced technologies in New Delhi on November 15, 2026. Photo: PIB Photo Gallery via ANI.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday (November 15, 2026) called for strengthening India’s indigenous Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) capabilities, saying the country must move beyond being a user of advanced technologies to become a developer, innovator and global leader in critical technological domains.

Virtually addressing the 36th Annual Conference on Non-Destructive Evaluation and Enabling Technologies and the 15th International Symposium on Non-Destructive Testing in Aerospace, organised by the Indian Society for Non-Destructive Testing in Hyderabad, he said reliable testing and quality assurance were essential for defence preparedness and strategic self-reliance.

“There can be no compromise on the integrity of testing results in strategic applications,” Mr. Singh said, stressing the need to develop indigenous capabilities in advanced inspection technologies, specialised sensors, evaluation equipment, and associated software to reduce technological dependence and secure critical defence supply chains.

Importance of NDT

He said NDT technologies enable the examination of materials, components, and structures without causing damage, much like ultrasound and X-rays help examine the human body without surgical intervention.

With Indian defence systems becoming increasingly sophisticated, every critical material, component, and manufacturing process must meet the highest standards of quality and reliability, he said. Hidden defects could affect operational availability, increase maintenance requirements, reduce equipment service life, and, in critical situations, jeopardise mission success.

“We need to move beyond a culture of merely identifying defects towards actively preventing them by embedding quality at every stage of the manufacturing process,” he said.

Underlining the strategic significance of NDT, Mr. Singh said quality in defence applications, including missiles, aircraft, naval platforms, and spacecraft, was not merely a manufacturing requirement but an essential element of operational reliability and national security.

Journey towards self-reliance

He cited India’s achievements in missile development, naval platforms, aerospace engineering, radar systems, and space applications as evidence of its expanding indigenous capabilities. The commissioning of the country’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, was an important milestone in India’s journey towards self-reliance, he said.

The Defence Minister also highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, advanced sensors, digital twins, and predictive analytics in improving inspection accuracy and structural health monitoring. He called for developing indigenous solutions suited to India’s strategic and industrial requirements.

Referring to initiatives such as Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) and the Technology Development Fund (TDF), he said collaboration among the government, industry, academia, and research institutions was crucial to technological advancement.

The three-day conference has brought together over 2,000 professionals, researchers, industry experts, and students to discuss emerging NDT technologies and their applications, particularly in defence and aerospace.

Published - November 15, 2026 07:50 pm IST