Defence Literature Festival: The Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS), which works under the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) of the Ministry of Defence, held the second edition of the Defence Literature Festival called ‘Kalam & Kavach 2.0’ on April 15, 2025. The event happened at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi and was organized in partnership with Pentagon Press.
This special festival followed the theme “Securing India’s Rise through Defence Reforms” and matched the Prime Minister’s big goal of building ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, which means a self-reliant India. Many defence officers, policy experts, industry leaders, and researchers came together to share ideas and discuss how India can make its defence system stronger.
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The event showed that modern wars are changing fast. According to The Statesman, Experts said new tools like AI, cyber tech, drones, and space tech are now important in defence. These tools help armies act quickly and stay safe. Future wars will happen on land, sea, air, space, and online. So, all defence teams must work together smartly. Cyber safety and AI will keep systems strong and ready.
India’s Push for Defence Manufacturing and Self-Reliance
The event stressed how important it is for India to make its own defence equipment and not rely on other countries. The idea of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ came up often, with experts saying that Indian-made defence tools will save money, create jobs, and make the country safer. They also highlighted the need for close teamwork between the government and private industries.
Speakers talked about new ways India is improving how it buys military equipment. The goal is to make the process faster, more transparent, and focused on modern needs. Public-private partnerships were seen as key to boosting innovation and bringing advanced technology to the armed forces.
Another major topic was the importance of multi-domain abilities, meaning the military must be ready to operate across land, air, sea, space, and cyber. India’s maritime security also came up, with experts saying stronger strategies are needed to protect sea routes and coastal areas.
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2025 Declared as the Year of Reforms by Defence Minister
The festival had a special moment when the Defence Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh, made an important announcement. He said, “2025 is the Year of Reforms for the Indian Armed Forces.” This means the Indian military will go through many big changes this year to become faster, smarter, and more ready for any challenge.
He also said the government will use a “mission-mode approach” to bring reforms quickly. This includes promoting public-private partnerships, transferring new technologies, and improving the speed and quality of reforms. The goal is to build a strong, tech-savvy military that can protect the country better than ever.
