Gyan Setu Think Tank and Chandigarh Citizens Foundation in collaboration with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) organized a Round Table discussion, “DEFENCE DIALOGUE: How Can North India Contribute to the Growing Military Industrial Complex in India?” on 27th November, 2025.
Held at the CII Northern Region Headquarters, the dialogue brought together leading military strategists, policymakers, and industry captains to forge a regional strategy for defence manufacturing and technological self-reliance (Aatmanirbharta).
The discussion, chaired by Lt. Gen. K.J. Singh (retd.) and co-chaired by Maj. Gen. Mandip Singh (retd.), featured an esteemed panel including Gen. V. P. Malik (retd.), former COAS, alongside Lt. Gen. J.P. Singh (retd.), Col. RS Bhatia, Chairman Kalayani Strategic Systems and other distinguished figures.
Participants unanimously emphasized the urgent need to harness North India’s academic and industrial base, particularly its robust MSME sector, for defence production. Key recommendations focused on:
- Policy Streamlining: Simplifying defence procurement and licensing processes to promote ‘ease of doing business’ for private players in the region.
- Technology Transfer: Establishing dedicated R&D clusters and centres of excellence in Chandigarh, Punjab, and Haryana to facilitate the transfer of dual-use technologies from DRDO to regional industry.
- Talent Development: Creating specialized skill development programs to build a technically qualified workforce capable of high-precision defence manufacturing.
