Rajnath Singh urges India to strengthen indigenous NDT capabilities, embrace AI and robotics, and emerge as a global leader in advanced defence technologies.
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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has called for India to move beyond being a consumer of advanced technologies and emerge as a global developer and innovator, stressing the need to strengthen indigenous capabilities in critical technological sectors to achieve strategic self-reliance.
Addressing the 36th Annual Conference on Non-Destructive Evaluation and Enabling Technologies and the 15th International Symposium on Non-Destructive Testing in Aerospace virtually on Sunday, Singh emphasised the importance of building a robust domestic ecosystem for Non-Destructive Testing (NDT), particularly in the defence and aerospace sectors.
He said India must develop its own advanced inspection technologies, specialised sensors, testing equipment and supporting software to reduce dependence on foreign technologies and strengthen critical defence supply chains.
Stressing the importance of quality assurance, the Defence Minister said accurate, reliable and traceable testing results were essential for maintaining the operational readiness of defence equipment. He asserted that there could be no compromise on testing integrity, particularly in strategic applications.
Singh called for coordinated efforts involving defence public sector undertakings, private manufacturers, start-ups and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to expand India's indigenous NDT capabilities.
Explaining the significance of Non-Destructive Testing, Singh said these techniques allow materials, components and structures to be examined without causing physical damage. Comparing the technology with medical ultrasound and X-rays, he noted that NDT helps identify internal defects in critical components without dismantling or damaging them.
He observed that India's increasingly sophisticated defence systems demand the highest standards of quality and reliability at every stage, from raw materials and individual components to final assemblies and manufacturing processes.
Undetected defects, he cautioned, could affect equipment availability, increase maintenance costs, reduce operational life and potentially jeopardise mission success.
The Minister advocated a shift from merely detecting defects to preventing them by incorporating quality assurance into every stage of the manufacturing process.
Highlighting the connection between technological progress and national security, Singh said a country's strength depended not only on the technologies it developed but also on the reliability, quality and security of the systems it produced.
In strategic sectors involving missiles, aircraft, naval platforms and spacecraft, he said quality assurance was much more than a manufacturing requirement; it was fundamental to operational reliability and national security.
He described Aatmanirbharta in defence as a strategic necessity rather than merely an economic objective. India's progress in missile development, naval platforms, aerospace engineering, radar systems and space applications reflected the growing capabilities of its scientific and industrial sectors.
Citing the commissioning of INS Vikrant, India's first indigenous aircraft carrier, he said the achievement represented a significant milestone in the country's pursuit of defence self-reliance.
Singh highlighted the importance of innovation in strengthening India's defence capabilities. He said innovation should not be limited to scientific discoveries or new inventions but should also include continuously upgrading existing technologies, improving established systems and developing better solutions.
He referred to initiatives such as Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) and the Technology Development Fund (TDF), which have encouraged experimentation, technological development and participation from emerging innovators in the defence sector.
Calling for greater preparedness in response to the changing global security environment, he urged professionals in the NDT sector to continuously enhance their expertise and develop solutions aligned with emerging technologies and evolving defence requirements.
Drawing attention to the rapid transformation of Non-Destructive Evaluation, the Defence Minister highlighted the growing importance of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), robotics, advanced sensors, digital twins and predictive analytics.
These technologies, he said, are expanding the scope of inspection and structural health monitoring by improving speed, consistency and accuracy. They also enable the analysis of complex data and help identify patterns and potential defects that conventional inspection methods may fail to detect.
Singh said the future of NDT would depend on integrating established inspection techniques with advanced digital technologies to make evaluation processes more efficient, precise and responsive to industrial requirements.
He stressed that India should not remain limited to adopting technologies developed elsewhere but should create indigenous solutions suited to its strategic and industrial priorities.
The Minister also called for increased investment in research, advanced testing equipment, software development and specialised human resources. Building stronger domestic capabilities, he said, would not only strengthen national security but also create opportunities for Indian technologies in international markets.
Emphasising the need for a coordinated approach, Singh called for stronger collaboration among the government, industry, academic institutions and research laboratories.
He urged all stakeholders to work together under a whole-of-government and whole-of-ecosystem approach to accelerate technological advancement and strengthen India's strategic autonomy.
The three-day conference, organised by the Indian Society for Non-Destructive Testing in Hyderabad, Telangana, has brought together more than 2,000 professionals, researchers, industry specialists and students.
The event provides a platform for exchanging knowledge and discussing emerging technologies, recent developments and applications in Non-Destructive Testing. It also seeks to strengthen cooperation among industry, academia and research institutions, with particular emphasis on expanding NDT capabilities in defence and aerospace.
The conference aims to promote innovation and accelerate the adoption of advanced inspection and evaluation technologies across various industrial sectors.
