Swavlamban 2026: Day 1 ⚓ The fifth edition of SWAVLAMBAN , organised by Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation in collaboration with SOCIETY OF INDIAN DEFENCE MANUFACTURERS supported by IDEX, Dept of Defence Production Ministry of Defence is being held at the Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi. The day opened with the thematic exhibition, inaugurated by the Chief of the Naval Staff alongside DG SIDM showcased indigenous technologies in Maritime Surveillance, Counter-UAS, Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Technologies from AROUND 100 defence startups & MSMEs. Later in the Inaugural Session, Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar, in his keynote address, stressed that delivering capabilities faster requires mechanisms for collaboration. He highlighted that solutions emerging from iDEX can be broken down and put to dual use, serving both defence and civil society. Mr Neeraj Gupta, Vice President, SIDM, outlined the industry perspective on innovation and self-reliance. The day concluded with a plenary session graced by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh as Chief Guest. He highlighted self-reliance driven through the iDEX ecosystem, resilient domestic supply chains and academic entrepreneurship. He expressed confidence that innovators will be “impact players” in Phase 2 of India’s Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) journey, where products must be made in India and also be cost-effective and operationally superior. The Chief of the Naval Staff noted that Swavlamban has so far showcased technologies with procurement approvals worth over ₹3,500 crore, and that AoN worth ₹1,900 crore has been accorded to Indian innovators for indigenous systems. #Swavlamban2026# #IndianNavy# #SIDM# #Aatmanirbharta# #iDEX# #DefenceIndigenisation#