PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) organised Bharat Drone Manthan 3.0 -"Vision to Action: Powering India's Deep-Tech Future" on 30th - 31st July 2026 at PHD House, New Delhi, bringing together policymakers, defence leadership, industry, startups, academia and technology experts to deliberate on strengthening India's drone, robotics and autonomous systems ecosystem and advancing the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
Delivering the inaugural address, the Chief Guest Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, Chief of the Air Staff, Indian Air Force, underscored the transformative role of unmanned aerial systems and counter-drone technologies in modern warfare and emphasised that sustained collaboration among the armed forces, industry, startups and research institutions will be key to strengthening India's indigenous drone capabilities. Highlighting the Indian Air Force's commitment to innovation, he said the Directorate of Aerospace Design (DAD) has been established to facilitate industry engagement and announced Dronathon 2026 as a platform to evaluate indigenous technologies through live demonstrations. Calling for accelerated development of critical technologies, AI-enabled systems, cybersecurity and localisation of key drone components, he urged industry to scale up innovation and manufacturing, remarking, "Technology delayed is technology denied."
While addressing the august gathering, Dr. N. Ranjana, Outstanding Scientist & Director, Directorate of Futuristic Technology Management, DRDO Headquarters, highlighted the growing strategic importance of drones, robotics and autonomous systems, noting that recent global conflicts have reinforced their critical role in defence and national security. She said DRDO's Industry-Academia Centres of Excellence are fostering indigenous innovation by bringing together academia, industry and government laboratories to accelerate technology development and commercialisation. She highlighted DRDO's research initiatives in swarm technologies, advanced propulsion systems, autonomous platforms, additive manufacturing and next-generation aerial systems, while encouraging startups and industry to leverage DRDO's testing infrastructure, research facilities and technology transfer programmes to accelerate indigenous innovation.
Dr. Panneerselavam Madangopal, CEO, MeitY Startup Hub, highlighted India's rapidly expanding startup ecosystem and the government's strong policy support for innovation through initiatives such as MeitY Startup Hub and iDEX. Emphasising the strategic importance of electronics and semiconductor manufacturing for drones, defence and emerging technologies, he said strengthening indigenous design and component manufacturing is critical to achieving Atmanirbhar Bharat. He encouraged startups to build globally competitive solutions around real-world problem statements and leverage government programmes to accelerate innovation, product development and commercialisation.
Underscoring the importance of industry-government collaboration in advancing emerging technologies, Mr. Sanjiv Edward, Chair, PHDCCI Civil Aviation Committee, said Bharat Drone Manthan 3.0 serves as a strategic platform for shaping the future of India's drone, robotics and deep-tech ecosystem by fostering collaboration between government, defence, industry, startups and academia. He observed that the convergence of artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and next-generation aerial technologies is redefining national security, industrial competitiveness and economic growth, and stressed that sustained innovation and cross-sector partnerships will be instrumental in positioning India as a global leader in emerging technologies. Reaffirming PHDCCI's commitment to fostering an innovation-driven ecosystem, he said the Chamber will continue to catalyse meaningful partnerships to accelerate indigenous technology development and advance the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
Mr. Michael Jain, Co-Chair, PHDCCI Civil Aviation Committee, appreciated the inspiring deliberations during the inaugural session and observed that the interaction between the Chief of the Air Staff and young innovators, students and startups served as a strong source of encouragement for India's emerging technology ecosystem. He expressed confidence that the deliberations at Bharat Drone Manthan 3.0 would further strengthen collaboration among government, industry, defence and academia, paving the way for accelerated innovation and indigenous technology development.
