Banmali Agrawala Stresses Atmanirbhar Bharat and Defence Self-Reliance at DSSC Wellington
Wellington, October 23, 2026: Banmali Agrawala, Chairman of Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Senior Advisor at Tata Sons, addressed the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) in Wellington with a talk on “Defence Industrial Technological Base (DITB) – Atmanirbhar Bharat,” focusing on India’s push for self-reliance in defence manufacturing and technology.
His session centred on the need to build stronger indigenous capabilities, reduce dependence on external sources and create a defence industrial base that can support India’s strategic autonomy. Agrawala presented an industry perspective on how the country’s defence ecosystem can evolve through technological innovation, domestic research and development, and deeper cooperation between the Armed Forces and Indian industry.
He stressed the importance of leveraging cutting-edge technologies and sustained collaboration to develop a future-ready defence structure capable of meeting the Indian Armed Forces’ changing operational needs. The address also highlighted the role of private industry in supporting the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative through investment in innovation, technology development and the strengthening of domestic defence manufacturing.
Agrawala also underlined the growing importance of partnerships between the defence services and domestic industry. According to the discussion, closer cooperation can accelerate innovation, support the development of advanced military technologies and strengthen India’s indigenous defence manufacturing capabilities.
The significance of the Defence Industrial Technological Base was another key theme of the talk. DITB is central to national security because it enables the indigenous development, production and maintenance of military equipment and critical technologies. The need to strengthen this base is becoming more pressing as modern warfare increasingly depends on advanced electronics, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and other emerging technologies.
The interaction at DSSC Wellington offered a broader look at the role of industry in India’s defence modernisation and the need to align technological progress with the operational requirements of the Armed Forces. It also reflected the importance of cooperation among the military, research institutions and private sector industry in advancing India’s longer-term goal of greater self-reliance in defence technology and manufacturing.
