Technical improvement in India to compete with Developed contries in the world
The objective is to compete with:
USA: advanced software, AI, semiconductor design, aerospace and biotechnology.
Japan: precision machinery, robotics, industrial quality and advanced materials.
China: manufacturing scale, electronics, batteries, machinery and supply chains.
Europe: industrial automation, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, clean technology and engineering.
The strategy should not simply replace imports. India must develop the ability to design, manufacture, maintain and export increasingly sophisticated technologies.
Specialty chemicals and materials Electronic chemicals, high-purity materials, advanced alloys and composites Japan, Germany, USA, China
Pharmaceuticals and medical devices Biologics, advanced drug development, diagnostic equipment and precision devices USA, Germany, Switzerland, Japan
Aerospace and defence Aircraft engines, avionics, sensors, advanced materials and precision components
High-efficiency cells, wafers, inverters, power electronics and turbine components China, Germany, Denmark, USA
Telecom and electronics Network equipment, processors, optical components and electronic components China, USA, South Korea, Taiwan
Agricultural machinery and food processing Smart tractors, precision farming, automation, sensors and high-quality processing equipment Japan, USA, Germany, China
3D printing and advanced manufacturing Industrial-grade printers, materials, process control and certification USA, Germany, Japan, China
India does not need to win every technology category simultaneously. It should prioritise technologies that create value across many other industries, while building specialised strengths in selected export markets.
Dependence on imported components and materials: Identify critical imports and develop domestic alternatives where technically and economically viable.
Skills and automation gaps: Train technicians, engineers and managers in robotics, AI, advanced manufacturing and industrial maintenance.
India's government has specifically identified machine tools, CNC controls, robotics, metrology and additive manufacturing as areas requiring coordinated development.
Develop battery materials, precision components and advanced manufacturing processes.
Establish industry-led R&D consortia and testing centres.
Help MSMEs become qualified suppliers to major Indian and international manufacturers.
Build export partnerships and enforce internationally benchmarked quality standards.
Proposed milestone: domestically developed components achieve commercial reliability and competitive costs in selected applications.
Phase 3: Own the technology
Priority: Move from manufacturing products to owning their technology.
Develop proprietary machine controllers, industrial AI and automation systems.
Commercialise advanced materials, semiconductor equipment and medical technologies.
Expand Indian patents, design ownership and technology licensing.
Scale research-intensive startups into established industrial suppliers.
Attract global manufacturers to conduct product development and advanced engineering in India.
Semiconductor development: India's semiconductor programme covers fabrication, chip design, packaging, equipment, materials and talent development. The government reported substantial electronics-manufacturing and export growth in 2024–25.
Advanced manufacturing: The government has been working on a coordinated strategy covering CNC controls, robotics, metrology and additive manufacturing.
These initiatives should be evaluated against actual production capability, technology transfer, quality and export performance—not simply announcements.
The central strategy: India should upgrade existing factories first, develop missing components and equipment next, own more critical technologies over time, and then scale the strongest capabilities into globally competitive export industries.
5. Batteries, electric vehicles and power electronics
Technical gaps to address: Battery cells, battery-management systems, advanced inverters, power semiconductors, electric motors, recycling and charging technology.
Scope: Electric mobility, grid storage, renewable energy, industrial electrification and reduced dependence on imported energy technologies.
Roadmap: Improve battery chemistry research, establish cell-testing and recycling infrastructure, manufacture key components locally and measure performance across cost, safety, lifespan and reliability.
The strategic lesson is to combine American innovation + Japanese quality + Chinese manufacturing scale + European engineering and standards, supported by India's engineering talent, domestic market and entrepreneurial capacity.
India's own policy direction already reflects this opportunity. NITI Aayog's October 2025 advanced-manufacturing roadmap identifies AI/ML, advanced materials, digital twins and robotics as cross-sector technologies that can strengthen industrial competitiveness.
Energy and water used per unit produced, waste and emissions
Financial performance Project returns, private capital mobilised and subsidy cost per outcome
For context, NITI Aayog's advanced-manufacturing roadmap describes manufacturing as accounting for roughly 15–17% of GDP at the time of publication and sets out an ambition to exceed 25% by 2035. That is a policy aspiration, not a guaranteed forecast.
High-value exports mission: Pharmaceuticals, medical devices, aerospace components, clean-energy equipment, specialised chemicals and advanced engineering products.
These missions should share a national research network, skilled-workforce programme, industrial testing infrastructure and transparent investment dashboard.
The aim should not be complete isolation from foreign technology. India should import and collaborate where that accelerates progress, while systematically developing the capability to design, manufacture, maintain and improve strategically important technologies domestically.
Can an Indian company design, manufacture, improve and export a product that international customers choose over competing American, Japanese, Chinese or European products?
That requires measurable capabilities:
Indigenous designs and intellectual property.
Competitive manufacturing costs and productivity.
Internationally comparable quality and reliability.
Domestic suppliers for strategically important components.
Sustained investment in research, engineering and skilled workers.
A balanced programme would develop these capabilities together, rather than pursuing complete self-sufficiency in every technology.
India should therefore track both domestic manufacturing value and the ownership, availability and performance of critical technologies.
My recommendation
India should prioritise three connected foundations first: advanced electronics and sensors, secure AI and software, and precision manufacturing with advanced materials. These capabilities support aircraft, ships, vehicles, communications, surveillance and many other defence systems. In parallel, India should sustain long-term research in difficult areas such as aerospace propulsion and advanced materials.
Sonar, propulsion, corrosion resistance, ship automation Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, Cochin Shipyard, L&T
Precision manufacturing CNC systems, metrology, advanced materials Jyoti CNC Automation, Bharat Forge, Godrej Enterprises Group
Space and communications Resilient satellite communications, sensors, secure networking Ananth Technologies, Data Patterns, Tejas Networks
Medical and protective equipment Field diagnostics, protective materials and emergency systems Indian medical-device manufacturers and materials companies
These companies are examples to investigate, not confirmation that each currently has an opening, procurement requirement or partnership programme.
2. Illustrative investment plan through 2036
Proposed defence technology development allocation
Illustrative ten-year planning scenario across selected technology areas; not an approved government budget.
Aerospace
₹25K crore
Infrastructure
₹15K crore
Electronics
₹15K crore
AI/cyber
₹10K crore
Uncrewed
₹10K crore
Naval
₹10K crore
Skills/R&D
₹10K crore
Total proposed envelope: ₹95,000 crore.
2029–2031: Develop and validate domestic components, qualify suppliers and expand commercial production.
2032–2033: Scale successful technologies, build intellectual property and establish reliable supply chains.
2034–2036: Expand exports of mature, certified systems and provide international maintenance and support.
The strongest starting point is to develop technologies that serve multiple defence platforms rather than funding isolated projects without a clear path to adoption.
Develop reliable networking, navigation, space communications and interoperability.
5. Long-term advanced research
Sustain aerospace propulsion, advanced materials and other difficult technologies through stable, milestone-based research programmes.
The key to success is to connect research funding with independent testing, actual procurement needs, reliable manufacturing and export customers. India should measure progress by technologies successfully adopted and sold—not simply by money spent or prototypes announced.
This illustrates the model India should replicate: research, industrial manufacturing, testing, procurement and supplier participation.
4. Ten-year investment roadmap
The following is a proposed national programme for defence electronics and semiconductor capabilities. It is separate from existing semiconductor incentives and defence procurement budgets; actual expenditure should be decided after a project-level assessment.
Illustrative investment allocation by technology area
Proposed ten-year programme allocation, 2027–2036. These are planning estimates, not approved funding.
Total: ₹40,000 crore, with funding staged against technical milestones.
Defence electronics: Develop reliable domestic electronic components, embedded systems and sensor subsystems.
Semiconductor design and packaging: Build Indian-owned designs and expand packaging, testing and qualification capabilities.
Industrial testing and materials: Develop the facilities and specialised suppliers needed to validate products and manufacture them consistently.
These priorities can reinforce each other and offer more attainable early milestones than attempting to develop every advanced semiconductor technology at once.
One further consideration: India should use a dual-use strategy wherever appropriate. Semiconductor technology, imaging sensors, power electronics and reliability testing can also support civilian telecommunications, healthcare, transport, energy and industrial automation.