Defence Minister addresses annual session of CII in New Delhi

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed the annual session of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in New Delhi on May 25, 2023.

During his address, he called upon industry leaders to come up with innovative solutions to help India become a 'leader' from an 'imitator' in futuristic technologies and stay prepared to deal with challenges emanating from the current global security scenario.

The theme of the CII session was 'Future Frontiers: Competitiveness, Technology, Sustainability and Internationalisation'.

The Minister asserted that, in today's era, security equations are changing at an unprecedented pace and countries are focusing more than ever on technological advancements in the fields of artificial intelligence, quantum computing & genetics etc. 

He termed it as both – a challenge of not lagging behind in the race of technology as well as an opportunity of making a mark, with the aim to help the nation leapfrog on the path of progress.

Singh described Research & Development (R&D) in cutting-edge technology as the only way to achieve this goal, stating that it opens new dimensions crucial for the development and security of any nation in today's times. 

"We need to set new goals and achieve them through innovative methods to keep ourselves prepared to deal with any challenges arising out of the ever-evolving global situation. R&D has the ability to convert things, which are viewed as resources, into resources. Technology improves the utilisation of the available resources. It acts as a force multiplier," he said.

Singh stressed on the need for R&D to achieve excellence in various fields, including defence, health, education, agriculture, commerce & communication, stating that it can give the country an edge over the others. 

"To keep ourselves strong, we need to maintain our edge in these sectors. It will be possible only if we become technology leaders," he said.

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