Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed the National Defence Industries Conclave (NDIC) 2026 in New Delhi today, calling such gatherings vital for sparking fresh ideas among policymakers, industry leaders, startups, and academics to drive self-reliance.
He praised innovative products and technologies from MSMEs and startups displayed at the exhibition, noting how small industries are embracing new thinking to bolster India’s defence ecosystem under the ‘Advanced Manufacturing Technologies’ theme.
Singh launched the 14th Defence India Startup Challenge (DISC) with over 100 challenges for the first time from Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), building on its track record to foster prototypes in defence and security.
