Changing global order requires India to be stronger: Rajnath Singh

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said becoming stronger is the only option India has in a fast changing world, and stressed on the need for developing indigenous defence manufacturing capabilities. Speaking at the inauguration of DefConnect 2.0, a seminar to discuss indigenous innovations for the Indian armed forces, Singh talked about the changing global scenarios, with Russia-Ukraine war coming as the most recent even which impacted India. “The way times and the world order are changing, we have no other option apart from becoming stronger,” Singh said. “Every new threat is becoming more complex and challenging than the previous one. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the world is now witnessing the Ukrainian conflict. We have also witnessed instability in the Middle East, in Afghanistan and now in Pakistan,” he said. He said events around the world are impacting India. “One way or the other, such events impact our country as well. There is a need to equip the country in every area to ensure peace and stability. The development of disruptive technology is a key requirement to handle new threats and challenges of the future,” he said. The Minister said challenges for India will only grow in the future and development of ‘disruptive technologies’ is important. Disruptive technology is an innovation that significantly alters the way that consumers, industries, or businesses operate. .The Defence Minister also congratulated the Department of Defence Production (DDP) for receiving the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration 2021 under the ‘Innovation (General) – Central’ category for the iDEX initiative. He lauded iDEX for providing an important platform for start-ups to showcase innovations and technological developments. “iDEX has provided an opportunity to our science and technology professionals to understand futuristic technologies such as AI, Augmented Reality, Block-chain and Space technologies. The start-up ecosystem has also been promoted and encouraged through order placement,” he said. Singh listed out a number of steps taken by the Government to create an eco-system that strengthens the domestic industry, start-ups & innovators, equip the Armed Forces with latest equipment and help the Government achieve the ultimate aim of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’. The third edition of Innovate4Defence internship (i4D) was also launched on the occasion, inviting applications from students all over India. In addition, a DIO e-Brochure and the ‘Runway for Innovations’ e-Coffee Table Book was launched during DefConnect 2.0. UNI AO SHK1638