India Ammunition Production: India has made significant progress in becoming self-reliant in defence production, achieving 88% self-sufficiency in ammunition manufacturing, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced on Monday. Speaking at the 16th foundation day of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, he revealed that the country’s defence exports hit nearly ₹23,000 crore in 2023-24. The government now aims to increase this figure to ₹50,000 crore by 2029, he added.
Rajnath Singh praised the government’s efforts to build a strong defence industry and urged students at IIT Mandi to contribute to this vision. He encouraged them to focus on developing technological solutions that could strengthen India’s defence capabilities and boost self-reliance in the sector. He advised students to follow the principles of Initiate, Improve, and Transform (IIT) and emphasized the importance of teamwork in solving national challenges through innovation.
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Had a delightful interaction with the students of IIT Mandi (Himachal Pradesh) on their 16th Foundation Day. Underlined the importance of fostering a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation that would allow India to lead in new technologies like Artificial Intelligence pic.twitter.com/XWPE9jMbRi
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) February 24, 2025
The Defence Minister also called on students to be leaders in technology rather than just followers. “The biggest challenge today is not just adapting to fast-changing technology but also creating new technologies. Don’t just be adapters; become disruptors who drive innovation,” he said, Ministry of Defence reported. He highlighted India’s growing technology sector, which is expected to reach $300-350 billion in the next five years. With over 1.25 lakh start-ups and 110 unicorns, India is now the world’s third-largest start-up ecosystem, he noted.
Shri Rajnath Singh also encouraged the students to be disruptors and not just adapters in the fast-paced world of technology. “The biggest challenge today is to adapt to the rapidly changing technology, but also to create new technologies. Don’t just be adapters; become the disruptors who lead innovation,” he added.
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Singh urged IIT Mandi to expand its role in defence-related technologies. He applauded the institute for its ongoing collaboration with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and called for further contributions in areas like artificial intelligence (AI)-driven warfare, indigenous AI chip development, cybersecurity, and quantum technology. He stressed that such advancements would play a crucial role in strengthening India’s defence sector and achieving the goal of self-reliance.
