India’s defence establishment is stepping up its focus on homegrown digital infrastructure as modern warfare becomes increasingly dependent on secure data systems, advanced computing and disruptive technologies.
At the 15th Defence Information Technology Consultative Committee meeting held in New Delhi on Tuesday, 23 June, the Ministry of Defence discussed a wider push towards Aatmanirbharta in defence IT.
The discussions covered key areas such as indigenous advanced chip manufacturing, a sovereign operating system, a national defence database framework and the strategic location of data centres for military needs.
The meeting was chaired by Minister of State for Defence Mantri Sanjay Seth and conducted by Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff.
Officials and experts examined how emerging technologies can be adopted by the armed forces in a time-bound manner, especially as the nature of warfare shifts from conventional battlefield strength to technology-driven decision-making, cyber resilience and secure communication networks.
A major focus of the meeting was reducing dependence on foreign technology in sensitive defence systems.
The push for indigenous chips and sovereign software platforms is significant because defence networks require higher levels of security, control and reliability than ordinary civilian systems.
In military operations, data storage, processing and transmission can directly influence command decisions, surveillance, logistics and battlefield response.
The committee also discussed the strategic siting of data centres for defence requirements.
Such facilities are becoming increasingly important as the armed forces generate and process large volumes of operational data through sensors, satellites, drones, surveillance platforms and command systems.
The Defence IT committee cleared projects that are expected to have long-term benefits for the armed forces as well as India’s wider technology ecosystem.
These efforts as part of the government’s broader Viksit Bharat vision, where defence modernisation and national technological capability are closely linked.
The meeting was attended by officers from Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff, the Army, Navy, Air Force, Defence Research and Development Organisation, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, along with members from academia and industry.
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