General Dhiraj Seth made the remarks at the NDTV Defence Summit in New Delhi, saying that while technology shortens battlefield engagements, it does not shorten wars. He stressed that a tangible victory on the ground remains the only indisputable metric, drawing on the 1971 image of Pakistani surrender as a defining moment.
Seth warned that prolonged conflicts expose a nation's dependence on foreign tech, and that the pace of capability development must outstrip the speed of battlefield change. His comments come amid a defense budget that has surged to ₹1.78 lakh crore in 2025‑26, a jump from ₹46,429 crore in 2014‑15.
He called for a renewed focus on self‑reliance, arguing that indigenous production must be fast enough to avoid obsolescence before deployment. The government’s Make‑in‑India initiative now covers 27 sectors, 15 in manufacturing and 12 in services.
In his closing remarks, Seth urged policymakers to prioritize ground force readiness and to streamline procurement processes. The next defense budget meeting, scheduled for May 15, 2026, will set the pace for these reforms.