New Delhi: The ministry of defence on Wednesday declared 2025 as the "year of reforms" to transform the armed forces into a technologically advanced, combat-ready military capable of multi-domain integrated operations. It will focus on new domains such as cyber and space and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, hypersonic and robotics.
The reforms will aim to further bolster jointness and integration initiatives and facilitate the establishment of the integrated theatre commands.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh chaired a meeting with all the secretaries of the ministry of defence (MoD) on the eve of the New Year to review the progress on various schemes, projects, reforms and the way ahead. In order to give impetus to the ongoing and future reforms, it was unanimously decided to observe 2025 as the year of reforms in the MoD.
The defence minister exuded confidence that the year of reforms will be a momentous step in the modernisation journey of the armed forces. “It will lay the foundation for unprecedented advancements in the country’s defence preparedness, thus preparing to ensure the security and sovereignty of the nation amidst the challenges of the 21st century,” he said.
The other areas identified for focussed intervention in 2025 include developing a shared understanding of operational requirements and joint operational capabilities through inter-service cooperation and training.
According to the MoD statement, the acquisition procedures need to be made simpler and time-sensitive to facilitate swifter and robust capability development.
Technology transfer and knowledge sharing between the defence sector and civil industries need to be facilitated, along with promoting public-private partnerships by improving the ease of doing business.
The MoD said that the focus will be on collaboration across various stakeholders in the defence ecosystem and breaking silos. Effective civil-military coordination should aim to eliminate inefficiencies and optimise resources.
The year of reforms will focus on positioning India as a credible exporter of defence products, fostering R&D and partnerships between Indian industries and foreign original equipment manufacturers for knowledge sharing & resource integration.
The objective is to instill a sense of pride in Indian culture and ideas, fostering confidence in achieving global standards through indigenous capabilities while imbibing best practices from modern militaries that suit the nation’s conditions.
