The fifth edition of the Indian Navy’s flagship Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Seminar, Swavlamban 2026, concluded at the Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi, on 27 Oct 2026. The two-day seminar, held under the theme ‘Strength & Power through Innovation and Indigenisation’, brought together the Defence Forces, industry, start-ups, MSMEs, academia and investors to deliberate on emerging technologies, indigenous defence capabilities and strengthening India's defence innovation ecosystem.

The first day commenced with the inauguration of the technology exhibition and a walkaround by Adm Krishna Swaminathan, Chief of the Naval Staff. The exhibition showcased indigenous innovations across thematic areas including Success Stories, Maritime Surveillance, Counter-UAS, Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Technologies, NBCD and Safety, and Efficiency Enhancers.  The exhibits highlighted the growing capabilities of Indian innovators in developing technologies aligned with the operational requirements of the Indian Navy. Interactions with Naval Attachés and Defence Attachés were held, featuring a presentation followed by a walkthrough of the exhibition.

The day’s proceedings continued with an interactive session on ‘Innovation and Indigenisation through Self-Reliance’, moderated by VAdm Tarun Sobti, former Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff. The session featured eminent speakers including Mr Sridhar Vembu, Mr Nikunj Parashar, and Ms Debjani Ghosh, who shared their perspectives on technology entrepreneurship, indigenous product development, and technology policy. The deliberations focused on fostering an innovation-driven entrepreneurial ecosystem and translating innovative ideas into deployable solutions.

The plenary session was graced by Hon’ble Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh as the Chief Guest, who visited the exhibition and reviewed indigenous innovations and technological solutions developed by participating industry partners. His interaction with the exhibitors and keen interest in their innovations served as a source of encouragement for the participating industries. Hon’ble Raksha Mantri also felicitated eminent speakers of the seminar and iDEX innovators in recognition of their contributions to defence innovation and indigenisation. The session witnessed the release of the Swavlamban 5.0 document and the Compendium of Technology Imperatives, Problem Statements and Future Concepts, followed by the address by Hon’ble Raksha Mantri. (https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2328590)

The second day featured two interactive sessions focusing on future technologies and measures to strengthen self-reliance through the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) ecosystem.

The first session, ‘Future and Emerging Technologies’, was moderated by VAdm SJ Singh (Retd), former Vice Chief of the Naval Staff, with Mr Ankit Mehta, Mr Rahul Nayar and Mr Saurav Jha as speakers. The discussions focused on the evolving role of unmanned systems and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in enabling coordinated multi-domain operations, enhancing situational awareness and supporting informed decision-making. Deliberations on quantum technologies explored emerging applications in communication and sensing, while discussions on hypersonic technologies highlighted their significance in shaping future defence capabilities.

The second session, ‘Boosting Self-Reliance and the iDEX Ecosystem’, was moderated by Adm KB Singh (Retd), former Chief of the Naval Staff, with Mr APVS Prasad, Mr Pankaj Chadha and Prof Manan Suri as speakers. The discussions emphasised the need to streamline systems engineering, testing and certification processes for unmanned systems, facilitate integration of start-up innovations into larger defence platforms and strengthen indigenous supply chains. The session also highlighted the importance of translating academic research into commercially viable deep-tech solutions and fostering closer collaboration among start-ups, academia, certification agencies and established defence industries.

Engagement with investors and venture capitalists provided an opportunity to explore avenues for funding, scaling and commercialisation of indigenous defence technologies. The interactions highlighted the importance of sustained financial and institutional support in enabling promising innovations to progress from prototype development to production and operational deployment.

The technology exhibition, organised as part of the seminar, continued to facilitate interactions among innovators, industry representatives, researchers and defence stakeholders. The exhibition provided an opportunity for technology developers to engage with prospective users, understand operational requirements and explore avenues for further development and integration of indigenous solutions.

Over the two days, Swavlamban 2026 highlighted the growing convergence of operational requirements, technological innovation and indigenous industrial capabilities. The deliberations underscored the importance of moving beyond prototype development towards testing, certification, manufacturing, scaling and eventual operational induction. Strengthening domestic supply chains, facilitating industry-academia collaboration and enabling greater participation of start-ups and MSMEs emerged as key priorities for achieving sustainable defence self-reliance.

The seminar reaffirmed the Indian Navy’s commitment to fostering innovation, strengthening the indigenous defence industrial ecosystem and accelerating the transformation of homegrown technologies into operational capabilities. Through sustained collaboration with industry, academia and the wider innovation ecosystem, the Indian Navy continues to advance the national vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat while enhancing maritime preparedness and future operational readiness.

 

 

 

 

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VM/AS

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