Atmanirbhar Bharat Key To India's Defence Preparedness, Says Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth

Last Updated:October 23, 2025, 12:21 IST

The Army Commander underlined that for the Indian Army, self-reliance is not a slogan but a pathway to freedom of choice, innovation, and operational readiness.

Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth, Army Commander, Southern Command.

Reinforcing the importance of self-reliance in India’s defence preparedness, Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth, Army Commander, Southern Command, said that Atmanirbhar Bharat represents the foundation of the nation’s strategic autonomy. He underlined that for the Indian Army, self-reliance is not a slogan but a pathway to freedom of choice, innovation, and operational readiness.

“Atmanirbharta is not just about reducing defence imports. It’s about achieving strategic autonomy the freedom to make our own choices and equip our soldiers with homegrown, indigenously designed and developed systems suited to Indian conditions," he said.

Gen. Seth placed Atmanirbharta within the broader vision of a developed and secure India. “I see two major pillars of a Viksit Bharat 2047 – Surakshit Bharat (a secure India) and Atmanirbhar Bharat (a self-reliant India). The bigger set is Atmanirbhar Bharat, with defence self-reliance as a crucial subset," he added.

He stressed that the Indian Army is actively working to bridge the divide between innovation in research institutions and real-world military application. “We are looking at the academia to innovate, the industry to incubate, and the armed forces to induct," he explained.

Highlighting recent achievements, Gen. Seth mentioned successful collaborations under the Academia Technology Symposium, where the Indian Army partnered with IITs and other premier institutes across the country. “We had the Academia Technology Symposium where the Indian Army collaborated with IITs across the country ventures such as Agnishore and Parivartak are success stories. For instance, with IIT Chennai we developed the Sambhav smartphone, which proved to be a game-changer during Ops Sindoor," he said.

Acknowledging the strength of India’s southern industrial base, the Southern Command chief pointed out the region’s deep concentration of research and innovation assets. “Over 30 of India’s top institutes, including many IITs and DRDO labs, are within our area of responsibility. Nearly 60 per cent of India’s MSMEs and startups are in South India. We are handholding these MSMEs and startups, pushing them up the defence innovation food chain to make for India, to make for our soldiers, and to make in India," he said.

Concluding his remarks, Gen. Seth reaffirmed the Army’s mission to strengthen indigenous defence capabilities. “Our aim is clear — to ensure India is poised to fight and win wars with equipment designed, developed, and produced in India for India." He also noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guiding mantra of JAI — Jointness, Atmanirbharta, and Innovation — has set a clear strategic direction for the armed forces.

Mayuresh Ganapatye

Mayuresh Ganapatye, News Editor at News18.com, writes on politics and civic issues, as well as human interests stories. He has been covering Maharashtra and Goa for more than a decade. Follow him at @mayuganapa...Read More

Mayuresh Ganapatye, News Editor at News18.com, writes on politics and civic issues, as well as human interests stories. He has been covering Maharashtra and Goa for more than a decade. Follow him at @mayuganapa...

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