Bengaluru: India cannot effectively fight future wars with defence systems that are 95% indigenous if the remaining 5% consists of critical imported technologies such as chips, software or algorithms, BK Das, Director General (Electronics & Communication Systems), DRDO, said Tuesday, in Bengaluru.Addressing a curtain-raiser event in Bengaluru ahead of the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC)-2026, Das stressed that the country must pursue “last-mile indigenisation” to achieve true technological self-reliance in defence and strategic sectors. “You can’t fight a war with a 95% indigenous system where the critical 5% does not exist,” Das said, arguing that even a small imported component could determine the effectiveness of an entire weapon system during conflict.The remarks come as DRDO prepares to lead a thematic session on “Semiconductors and Next-Gen Chips” at ESTIC-2026, which will be held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi from Oct 27 to 29. The national conclave, being organised under the guidance of the principal scientific adviser to the govt of India, is expected to bring together policymakers, industry leaders, researchers and academia to deliberate on emerging technologies and India’s innovation roadmap.Highlighting the strategic importance of semiconductors, Das said the future of warfare and advanced defence systems would increasingly be determined by technologies embedded at the chip level. “The last square inch of silicon is going to decide the future of warfare,” he said, urging Indian researchers, start-ups, academia and industries to focus on indigenous chip design and next-generation semiconductor technologies.Das said India had made significant progress in defence self-reliance over the past two decades, moving from being one of the world’s largest importers of defence equipment to developing and deploying indigenous systems. However, he cautioned that complete technological sovereignty would only be achieved when critical technologies are designed, developed and manufactured within the country.
