(MENAFN- KNN India) New Delhi, Nov 18 (KNN) The Indian Army and the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS) on Sunday held the Curtain Raiser event for the Chanakya Defence Dialogue 2025 (CDD-2025) at the Manekshaw Centre. This year's theme is 'Reform to Transform: Sashakt, Surakshit aur Viksit Bharat.'

At the event the Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi linked national security with national development, noting that the aspirations of Viksit Bharat @2047 require long-term stability.

General Dwivedi highlighted the Ministry of Defence's declaration of 2025 as the 'Year of Reforms' and said that development and security must progress together.

A Special Address was delivered by Rajiv Chandrasekhar, former Minister of State for Electronics & IT and Skill Development. He said that technological capability and trusted, indigenous digital ecosystems are central to national security and long-term self-reliance.

A panel discussion on 'Atmanirbharta in Defence' was chaired by Lieutenant General Rahul R. Singh, Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Capability Development & Sustenance).

Speakers from DRDO, defence industry and academia discussed the importance of indigenous design, dual-use technologies, supply-chain resilience and greater collaboration between the private sector, DRDO and academic institutions.

The role of MSMEs, defence industrial corridors and procurement reforms in strengthening India's defence manufacturing ecosystem was also highlighted.

The upcoming Dialogue is expected to contribute to policy discussions on defence reforms and technological readiness, providing insights that can support India's long-term security and development objectives.

(KNN Bureau)

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