EP-416 | India’s Defence Sector: Tejas, AMCA, Drone Warfare & More | IAS Sanjeev Kumar

EP-416 | India’s Defence Sector: Tejas, AMCA, Drone Warfare & More | IAS Sanjeev Kumar

From ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash by Asian News International (ANI)

May 20, 2026 · 1h 4m · Episode 416

About this episode

The episode discusses India's advancements in defence manufacturing and the challenges of achieving self-reliance in the sector.

From Tejas fighter jets and the AMCA programme to drones and missile systems. India is pushing aggressively towards self-reliance in defence manufacturing. Can India truly become “Aatmanirbhar” in defence? Or is complete self-reliance impossible in a world dependent on global supply chains? What role will private companies play in India’s growing drone ecosystem? In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, we are joined by Sanjeev Kumar, IAS, Secretary, Department of Defence Production. A 1993-batch IAS officer with a background in electronics engineering, communication technology, and financial management, he is leading India’s push towards indigenous defence manufacturing and technology modernisation. Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction 01:05 – Lessons from West Asia Crisis 05:05 – India’s Drone Production Capacity 05:52 – India’s Missile Production Capacity 08:49 – India’s Ammunition Manufacturing Capacity 14:27 – India’s Defence Exports 17:20 – India’s Atmanirbhar Defence Capabilities 19:45 – Success of ‘Make in India’ in Defence 24:52 – India’s Defence Imports 27:59 – Chinese Components & Data Security Risks 29:02 – Use of AI in Modern Warfare 29:52 – India’s…

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