Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday called for transforming India from a user of advanced technologies into a developer, innovator and global leader in critical technological domains, emphasising the need to strengthen the country’s indigenous Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) ecosystem to enhance defence preparedness and strategic self-reliance.
Virtually addressing the 36th Annual Conference on Non-Destructive Evaluation and Enabling Technologies and the 15th International Symposium on Non-Destructive Testing in Aerospace, the Defence Minister stressed the importance of developing domestic capabilities in advanced inspection technologies, specialised sensors, evaluation equipment and associated software.
He said consistent quality assurance practices across the defence industrial ecosystem, along with accurate, reliable and traceable testing results, were essential for strengthening India’s defence capabilities. There could be no compromise on the integrity of testing results in strategic applications, he asserted.
Singh said indigenous capabilities in these areas would help reduce technological dependence and secure critical defence supply chains. He called for coordinated participation from defence public sector undertakings, private manufacturers, start-ups and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in strengthening the country’s NDT ecosystem.
Explaining the importance of Non-Destructive Testing, the Minister said these technologies enable the examination of materials, components and structures without causing damage. Drawing a comparison with medical ultrasound and X-rays, he explained that NDT techniques help detect internal defects in critical components without dismantling or damaging them.
Singh pointed out that as India’s defence systems become increasingly sophisticated, every critical material, component, assembly and manufacturing process must meet the highest standards of quality and reliability. Undetected defects can affect the operational availability of equipment, increase maintenance requirements, shorten service life and, in critical situations, jeopardise mission success.
The Minister called for moving beyond a culture of merely identifying defects towards preventing them by embedding quality at every stage of the manufacturing process.
Highlighting the strategic importance of quality assurance, Singh said the progress of a nation depends not only on the technologies it develops but also on the quality, reliability and security of the systems it builds. In defence applications involving missiles, aircraft, naval platforms and spacecraft, quality is not simply a manufacturing requirement but an essential element of operational reliability and national security.
He underlined that Aatmanirbharta in defence was not merely an economic objective but a strategic necessity. India’s achievements in missile development, naval platforms, aerospace engineering, radar systems and space applications, he said, reflected the growing strength of its scientific and industrial capabilities. The commissioning of India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, was cited as a major milestone in the country’s journey towards self-reliance.
The Minister also highlighted the role of innovation in strengthening the defence sector, noting that it extends beyond scientific discoveries and new inventions to include the continuous improvement, upgrading and enhancement of existing technologies and systems.
Singh referred to initiatives such as Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) and the Technology Development Fund (TDF), which have encouraged innovation, technological development and experimentation, giving a new direction to India’s defence ecosystem.
Emphasising the need to keep pace with the changing global security environment, the Minister urged professionals in the NDT sector to continuously upgrade their capabilities and develop solutions in line with emerging technologies and evolving security requirements. Indigenous weapons, platforms and supporting systems, he said, must deliver the highest levels of reliability and performance.
On the technological transformation taking place in Non-Destructive Evaluation, he highlighted the growing role of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Robotics, Advanced Sensors, Digital Twins and Predictive Analytics. These technologies are expanding the possibilities of inspection and structural health monitoring by improving inspection speed and consistency, enabling analysis of complex data and helping identify patterns that may remain undetected through conventional methods.
He said the future lies in intelligently integrating established inspection techniques with advanced digital technologies to make inspection processes more accurate, efficient and responsive to industrial requirements. India must move beyond adopting such technologies and develop indigenous solutions suited to its strategic and industrial needs, he added.
The Minister called for greater investment in research, advanced equipment, software and skilled manpower, observing that stronger domestic capabilities could also help Indian technologies access international markets.
Singh further stressed the importance of collaboration among the Government, industry, academia and research laboratories. He called for a whole-of-government and whole-of-ecosystem approach, with all stakeholders working towards technological advancement and strategic self-reliance.
The three-day conference, organised by the Indian Society for Non-Destructive Testing in Hyderabad, Telangana, has brought together more than 2,000 professionals, researchers, industry experts and students. It provides a platform for discussions on the latest developments, emerging technologies and applications in NDT, with a focus on knowledge exchange and collaboration among industry, academia and research institutions.
The event is also aimed at strengthening NDT capabilities, promoting innovation and advancing the adoption of advanced inspection and evaluation technologies across sectors, particularly defence and aerospace.
(PIB)
