NDTV Defence Summit

Stories 2026

Future Warfare To Pakistan Threat: 15 Big Takeaways From NDTV Defence Summit

Senior military commanders and the Defence Minister spoke about the capabilities India is building, the gaps it must address immediately and the technologies expected to shape warfare in the years ahead.

Exclusive: No Su-57 Decision Yet, Says Defence Secretary. India Leans On AI Networks To Bridge Stealth Gaps

Russia has been pushing hard for India to acquire the Su-57 jet which was showcased in February 2025 at Aero India, Asia's largest airshow

HAL Failed Bid To Build India's Stealth Jet On "Routine Technical Grounds": Defence Secretary RK Singh At NDTV Defence Summit

In February 2026, Defence Ministry sources said only three of the seven consortia that had expressed interest met the mandatory technical and financial criteria, and HAL, which had bid with two smaller firms, did not qualify.

'Industry Must Move Quickly From Prototype To Product': Top Military Officer At NDTV Defence Summit 2026

NDTV Defence Summit 2026: Chief of Defence Staff General NS Raja Subramani explained three things that the armed forces would like to have from the industry, which are speed, scale and volume

"China Border Stable, Won't Let Guard Down With Pak": Defence Chief To NDTV

Chief of Defence Staff General NS Raja Subramani said Operation Sindoor was a "classic example" of all three services working together.

"Situation On China Border Stable, No Cause For Concern": Chief Of Defence Staff To NDTV

There have been years of heightened tensions along the India-China border following a clash in eastern Ladakh in 2020.

'No Palantir, We'll Do It Ourselves': Top Defence Official On "AI Spine" For Forces

The top defence official revealed that "some attempts" to infuse AI were made during Operation Sindoor, India's counterstrike against terrorist havens in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir

"Integrate With Us On Mission Mode": Navy Chief To Skyroot At NDTV Summit

Indian Navy chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan has invited private space technology start-up Skyroot Aerospace to collaborate in "mission mode" to understand the defense-specific requirements in the country and help develop world-class, sovereign space capabilities over the next 20-25 years.

AI Will Transform Battlefield In All Aspects: Chief Of Defence Staff To NDTV

"I see AI as an opportunity and then as a challenge," Chief of Defence Staff General NS Raja Subramani said at the NDTV Defence Summit.

About NDTV Defence Summit 2026

Day Conclave

Hours

20+

Industry Pioneers

15+

Sessions

NDTV Defence Summit 2026 — India’s New Defence Edge, is NDTV’s flagship, high-level defence forum, designed as one of India’s most exclusive gatherings of policymakers, military leadership, defence industry pioneers and strategic experts.

This year’s summit centres on India’s evolving defence edge: from the operational lessons of Operation Sindoor to the rapid integration of AI, drones, space capabilities and autonomous systems; from deeper jointness among the three services and stronger Atmanirbharta in defence manufacturing to new global partnerships and technology alliances.

Key Faces 2026

Rajnath Singh
Hon’ble Defence Minister of India
General NS Raja Subramani
PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, Chief of Defence Staff
General Dhiraj Seth
PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, Chief of the Army Staff
Admiral Krishna Swaminathan
PVSM, AVSM, VSM, Chief of the Naval Staff
Rajesh Kumar Singh (IAS)
Defence Secretary, Secretary DDR&D and Chairman DRDO (Additional Charge)
Air Marshal Tejpal Singh
AVSM, VM, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff
Lieutenant General Dominique Tardif
Vice Chief of the French Air and Space Force
Denis Alipov
Russian Ambassador to India
Ashish Kansal
CEO, SMPP Limited
Puneet Kaura
MD & CEO, Samtel Avionics Ltd
Rear Admiral R Sreenivas
VSM (Retd.), Chief Executive Officer, Bondada Group
Veddika Dalmia
Director, Hyper Stealth Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
Suresh Kamate
General Manager, Aerospace & Defence Business, dSPACE India
Bodhisattwa Sanghapriya
Founder & CEO, IG Defence
Tapan Bhatnagar
COO, SAAB FFVO India
Rafal Modrzewski
Co-Founder & CEO, ICEYE
Pawan Kumar Chandana
CEO, Skyroot Aerospace
Dr. Samir V Kamat
Chairman, Former DRDO & Secretary, Department of Defence, R&D
Sameer Joshi
CEO, Newspace
Arvind Lakshmikumar
MD & CEO, Tonbo Imaging
Pankaj Saran
Member, National Security Advisory Board (NSAB), India, Former Deputy NSA
Saurav Jha
CEO, D- Propulse
Brigadier Devasheesh Chowdhury (Veteran)
Senior GM, Zen Technologies
Lt Gen Raj Shukla (Retd.)
Former Army Commander
Jayaram M
CEO, Kalyani Rafael Advanced Systems
Rakesh Ojha
Director, Munitions India Limited