India AI defence: At the India-AI Impact Summit 2026, Chandrika Kaushik, Director General of the DRDO, spoke very clearly about one big issue. She said India cannot depend on artificial intelligence systems made by foreign companies when it comes to defence work.
Talking to ANI and the media at the summit, she said the defence sector needs systems that are fully trusted and properly checked. If India uses AI tools made outside the country, there can be risks related to safety, control and reliability. She said, “In the defence domain, we can’t afford to depend on solutions and AI models which are coming from abroad. We need to be very sure about the trustworthiness of the models and the systems which we are adopting.”
She explained that many AI tools people use today are from other countries. Students use them. Teachers use them. People use them to make presentations and solve problems.
She said, “If you look at the students, you look at the teachers, you look at people who are making presentations, or you are trying to find quick solutions, or you are trying to develop solutions, the first thing is one kind of hook into an AI solution. It could be any one of the existing ones. But most of these solutions are coming from abroad,” she noted.
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DRDO’s AI Plans and Frameworks
Chandrika Kaushik said that DRDO has already started important work in this area. The organisation has made two main frameworks to guide AI development. The first one is called the Evaluating Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence or ETAI framework. This helps in making AI systems stronger and more reliable. The second framework gives clear steps for checking and testing AI systems before they are used. It gives proper guidelines for developers so that defence AI tools are safe and dependable.
She also said that AI is now being added to almost every system DRDO is building, wherever data can be used for analysis. AI systems are slowly moving closer to real operational use.
She warned that AI is not staying inside labs anymore. It is moving towards real battle zones. She said, “AI is moving to the edge, to the battlefield itself, and we must accelerate its integration into defence systems,” she said. She also added, “AI has started going to the edge. It is going to the battlefield itself. So, over time, we have to quickly gear up towards incorporating the AI solutions into the defence domain,” Kaushik added.
India-AI Impact Summit
The India-AI Impact Summit 2026 is focused on responsible and safe use of AI. It talks about how AI can help in jobs, innovation, digital systems and even climate-friendly technology. The event is built around three main ideas which are People, Planet and Progress. Discussions are happening about new skills, startup growth, AI for farmers and small businesses and how to use AI safely and ethically.
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Kaushik appreciated the efforts of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Government of India for bringing experts together. She called the summit an important step in building trusted AI inside the country. She said it is “the way to go” for creating strong and reliable Indian AI systems. The summit also looks at AI safety adn data protection and proper rules for using AI.
