Air Marshal Bharti urges complete Indigenisation in defence manufacturing at Aero Tech India 2025

New Delhi: Stressing the need for absolute self-reliance in defence production, the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti said that even 99 percent indigenous content in defence equipment would remain inadequate if critical components continued to be import-dependent.

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“If the supplies of those critical components are choked, we will not be able to ramp up production when needed,” Air Marshal Bharti said while addressing industry leaders and policymakers at Aero Tech India 2025, organised by FICCI in partnership with the Centre for Air Power and Strategic Studies (CAPSS) on Tuesday. He urged manufacturers to target 100 percent indigenisation within defined timelines, adding, “We need to put our innovation on afterburner. This cruise setting will not do.”

Outlining the Indian Air Force’s vision for future warfare, Bharti highlighted that conflicts would be won not just by strength but by “those who innovate faster, integrate better, and are self-reliant.” He presented a detailed framework, dividing future warfare into distinct phases and underscoring the role of indigenous capabilities in each.

For the pre-kinetic phase, Bharti stressed the importance of “persistent, survivable ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) capabilities” in a highly informatised environment. He called for AI-driven real-time data engines, quantum-resilient communications, blockchain technology, and integrated sensors across ground, air, and space platforms. The Air Marshal also emphasised the need for additional AWACS aircraft, advanced fighter radars, UAV-mounted systems, and RF sensors to complement electro-optical and infrared technologies.

During kinetic operations, he envisioned a future dominated by full-spectrum warfare, from low-cost drones to high-precision sixth-generation systems, with humans and autonomous machines collaborating in combat. However, he flagged weapon seeker technology as the most critical gap, urging the industry to prioritise its development.

The Air Force deputy chief further pressed manufacturers to invest in quantum computing for secure communications, scramjet engines for hypersonic missiles, core aero-engine technologies, directed energy weapons, and counter-drone solutions. He also advised entrepreneurs to move beyond the crowded unmanned aerial systems space and focus instead on survivability, platform capabilities, and sensor integration.

Air Vice Marshal Anil Golani, Director General of CAPSS, highlighted India’s progress in indigenisation, noting that more than 14,000 imported line items have been successfully replaced through government portals. He said that five positive indigenisation lists have already redirected contracts worth Rs 2.5 lakh crore to domestic suppliers, with a sixth list expected by year-end.

Echoing the call for self-reliance, Gagan Kumar Sangal, Member of FICCI’s Defence and Homeland Security Committee, said strengthening indigenous capabilities was “not a choice but a strategic necessity.” He stressed the need for collaboration between government, industry, academia, and the armed forces to make India a global leader in aerospace and defence manufacturing.

Kishore Atluri, also a member of FICCI’s Defence and Homeland Security Committee, underlined the sector’s transformation. “For years, our defence sector, particularly the Indian Air Force, depended on foreign platforms, spare parts and support systems. Today, that scenario is rapidly evolving,” he said, pointing to India’s transition from consumer to innovator in defence technology.

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