
What India can learn from Israel about atmanirbharta in defence
Yet, despite these restrictions and existential threats, Israel rapidly transformed itself into a defence innovation powerhouse, exporting nearly $15 billion in advanced weaponry in 2024, while India continues to rely heavily on arms imports to meet its needs. Understanding this divergence reveals key lessons on strategy, institutional design, and national resolve, which India must learn to become a global powerhouse.
India and Israel became independent countries less than a year apart — in August 1947 and May 1948, respectively. Almost immediately, both countries had to wage a war to safeguard their sovereignty and territorial integrity due to their inimical neighbours. As independent states, both countries inherited nascent economies, fragile infrastructure, limited heavy industries, and immediate security threats. In fact, Israel was probably in a more critical situation as it faced a UN arms embargo on all parties involved in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, which limited its access to military equipment.
This was particularly so during the Nehruvian years, when the Armed Forces were seen as a necessary evil and priority was given to the development of the civilian industrial sector at the cost of a firm military foundation. Israel, on the other hand, saw military capability as essential to survival. Every war from 1948 through 1967, 1973, and right up to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, has been a catalyst for innovation, with battlefield necessity spurring not only rapid development of weapons systems, but also new tactics, techniques, and procedures.
The urgency to upgrade our defence preparedness has returned to the fore, more so after Operation Sindoor. Limited foreign imports are being considered to plug critical gaps, including the possibility of inducting a foreign-made fifth-generation fighter aircraft. Inaugurating a workshop and exhibition held at the Manekshaw Centre in Delhi on 16 July, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan said, 'In today's warfare, you can't win with yesterday's weapon system.' It is logical then that tomorrow's wars cannot be fought with weapon systems based on today's technology. We need a transformative change in our systems.
Two contrasting defence sectors
Israel carried out institutional integration of its military, academic, and private industrial capabilities, resulting in a tightly coordinated ecosystem. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) worked in close tandem with universities, startups, and defence firms such as Elbit Systems, Rafael, and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
This tri-sector collaboration allowed rapid prototyping, battlefield testing, and iterative refinement. Mandatory conscription ensured military-civilian integration while early support from the Jewish diaspora in terms of funds and know-how also helped. This aspect of a strong civil-military-industry interface has been repeatedly stressed upon by Edward N Luttwak and Eitan Shamir in their book The Art of Military Innovation. The result was world-class systems such as the Iron Dome, Trophy active protection system, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and satellite systems.
By contrast, India's defence sector remained largely insulated. Dominated by public-sector entities like DRDO, HAL, and OFB, it followed bureaucratic, slow-moving processes with limited commercial incentives or accountability. Weak feedback loops between users (the military) and designers (DRDO), along with little to no synergy between academia, industry, and the military, further hindered progress. Most importantly, procurement must transition from least-cost (L1) models to highest-performance (T1) evaluations. Emphasising metrics such as lifecycle cost, operational performance, and indigenisation will incentivise innovation and discourage a process-over-product mindset. The L1 system has been the bane of our procurement, encouraging companies to give the bare minimum to win contracts. Except for the Armed Forces, no stakeholder truly has skin in the game.
Israel's export success in defence is also a reflection of its strategic necessity. With a small domestic market incapable of sustaining mature industries, Israel pursued exports aggressively. In 2024, Israeli defence exports hit a record $14.8 billion, with 48 per cent comprising rockets, missiles, and air defence systems. These sales — to Europe and other friendly countries — not only validated Israeli technology but also funded future R&D. India, despite its large Armed Forces, has lacked a similar export essentiality, and its fledgling defence industry has struggled to translate capacity into mass production or compete globally, resulting in continued reliance on imports.
Also read: A letter to Defence Minister, with lessons from American fighter pilot John Boyd: Jaithirth Rao
The real challenge
India has initiated policy reforms aimed at shifting this paradigm. Programmes like Make in India, the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020, and the Strategic Partnership Model have opened doors for private sector participation in defence, raised FDI limits, and corporatised legacy PSUs. Notably, Reliance Defence's recent partnerships with Germany's Rheinmetall and Diehl Defense to produce advanced ammunition and guided shells domestically mark significant milestones. Similarly, the indigenous helicopter gunship and sniper rifle developments reflect gradual progress. India's defence exports, estimated at Rs 21,083 crore in FY 2023-24, to over 100 countries, underscore a nascent export orientation, though much of it remains aspirational.
Israel's success is an off-shoot of existential necessity, an integrated ecosystem, a culture of innovation, and export-driven development. India must build upon the momentum by deepening private sector involvement, institutional reform, procurement refocus, and nurturing human capital, to genuinely realise Atmanirbharta in defence. This requires bold structural transformation, sustained political support, and clear strategic direction, with an emphasis on defence preparedness. In this context, it would be worthwhile to recollect what French President Emmanuel Macron said in his speech on the eve of Bastille Day 2025: 'To be free in this world, you must be feared. To be feared, you must be powerful.'
India's challenge is not of capability, but of unity and resolve. A focused, innovation-driven, user-integrated defence ecosystem is achievable if the government empowers rather than restrains; the military leads rather than watches; and the industry builds rather than waits to be spoon-fed. India has the necessary talent, demand, and environment to build one of the world's best indigenous defence ecosystems. We just have to put it all together.
General Manoj Mukund Naravane PVSM AVSM SM VSM is a retired Indian Army General who served as the 28th Chief of the Army Staff. Views are personal.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)

First Post
28 minutes ago
- First Post
Freedom Flotilla's Handala approaches Gaza, faces Israeli navy threat
An aid vessel launched by the Freedom Flotilla, carrying 19 activists and two journalists, is nearing Gaza in defiance of Israel's blockade. Named Handala, the boat could face interception like its predecessor Madleen, as tensions mount over humanitarian access. read more The Freedom Flotilla ship "Handala" as it leaves for Gaza at a port in Syracuse, Sicily, southern Italy. AFP The activist group Freedom Flotilla announced Saturday that its latest aid boat dispatched to Gaza was approaching the territory and planned to land there the following morning in defiance of an Israeli blockade. The vessel, named the Handala after a popular Palestinian cartoon character, was just 105 nautical miles (194 kilometres) from its destination, organisers said – closer to Gaza than its predecessor the Madleen was when it was intercepted in June. The Israeli navy said it would likewise block the new vessel from reaching the war-torn Palestinian territory. 'The [Israeli army] enforces the legal maritime security blockade on the Gaza Strip and is prepared for a wide range of scenarios, which it will act upon in accordance with directives of the political echelon,' an army spokesperson told AFP on Saturday. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Carrying 19 activists and two journalists from various countries, the Handala first set sail from Sicily on July 13 in a bid to break the Israeli blockade on Gaza and deliver aid to its population. The territory is facing severe shortages of food and other essentials, with the United Nations and NGOs warning of an imminent famine. The Handala's crew said in a post on X that they would go on a hunger strike if the Israeli army intercepted the boat and detained its passengers. The last boat sent by Freedom Flotilla, the Madleen, was intercepted by the Israeli army in international waters on June 9 and towed to the Israeli port of Ashdod. It carried 12 campaigners on board, including prominent Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.


NDTV
28 minutes ago
- NDTV
Focus On Drugs-Free India, Ensure Better Coordination: Amit Shah To Agencies
Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed the Eighth National Security Strategies Conference (NSSC) in New Delhi, marking the conclusion of the two-day meet on Kargil Vijay Diwas. Paying tribute to those who were killed in action in that conflict, the home minister also saluted the efforts of the armed forces and the Border Security Force during Operation Sindoor, calling it a reflection of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's zero-tolerance approach to terrorism. The home minister said Operation Sindoor had sent a strong and clear message to the world about India's uncompromising stand against terror. "PM Modi, with his strong political will, once again demonstrated India's firm stance and resolve on the issue of national security," he said. He pointed out that India's economy is in the fourth position globally and, with its emergence as a key player in new and emerging technologies, green energy, and innovation, the security challenges before the nation would also multiply in the years to come. 'Security, Alertness, Coordination' In view of the evolving threats, the home minister called for better coordination among central and state agencies. He directed the formation of homogenous teams to develop, implement, and monitor security strategies effectively. He also stressed the importance of involving young police officers in each state to brainstorm and offer innovative solutions to national challenges. Referring to the three new criminal laws that recently came into force, the minister said the same seriousness with which Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) and situations in the Northeast and Jammu and Kashmir were tackled must be shown in ensuring the effective implementation of these laws and in the fight against narcotics. He asked Directors General of Police across states to focus on the next three years as a mission period for a 'Nasha Mukt Bharat' (Drugs-Free India) and emphasised the need for going after drug cartels, securing the extradition of narco-offenders, and adopt a top-to-bottom and bottom-to-top approach in anti-narcotics efforts. Push For Real-Time Data Sharing Mr Shah called for establishing a reliable ecosystem for real-time data sharing and directed all agencies to integrate databases like NATGRID (National Intelligence Grid), NIDAAN (National Integrated Database on Arrested Narco Offenders), iMoT (Integrated Monitoring of Terrorism) and CBI's fugitive database into their day-to-day operations. He instructed that these tools be made a core part of all police training programmes to ensure better tech-driven enforcement on the ground. Highlighting the role of police stations as the first point of intelligence gathering, he called for a platform to enable real-time information sharing up to the station level. Maritime Security Mr Shah also stressed the need for all-round development in LWE-affected areas and urged police forces to coordinate with state administrations to ensure the timely implementation of over 300 central and state schemes at the grassroots level. On maritime security, the home minister flagged concerns over infiltration and smuggling along India's long coastal borders and emphasised the capacity building of state police forces to secure smaller seaports and prevent illegal activity. 'Excellence And Competition' Calling the internal security situation dynamic due to India's complex geopolitical neighbourhood, the home minister said the motto of " Suraksha, Sajagta, Samanvay" (Security, Alertness, Coordination) must become the guiding principle of all agencies. He urged the police leadership to strive for excellence, protect the life, property and dignity of every citizen, and nurture healthy competition in addressing internal security challenges. Mr Shah said the next five to ten years would be critical for India's security and development, and underlined that the Modi government has already resolved numerous issues scattered across states. He ended his address with a call for habitual alertness and a security-first mindset, saying these must now become an integral part of India's policing framework.


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
No proof Hamas routinely stole UN aid: Israeli military officials
JERUSALEM: For nearly two years, Israel has accused Hamas of stealing aid provided by the United Nations and other international organisations. The govt has used that claim as its main rationale for restricting food from entering the Gaza Strip. But the Israeli military never found proof that the Palestinian militant group had systematically stolen aid from the United Nations, the biggest supplier of emergency assistance to Gaza for most of the war, according to two senior Israeli military officials and two other Israelis involved in the matter. In fact, the Israeli military officials said, the UN aid delivery system was largely effective in providing food to Gaza's hungry population. Now, with hunger at crisis levels in the territory, Israel is coming under increased international pressure over its conduct of the war in Gaza and the humanitarian suffering it has brought. Israel has largely brushed off the criticism. David Mencer, a govt spokesperson, said this past week that there was "no famine caused by Israel." Instead, he blamed Hamas and poor coordination by the United Nations for any food shortages. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Up to 70% off | Shop Sale Libas Undo Israel moved in May toward replacing the UN-led aid system, opting instead to back a private, American-run operation guarded by armed US contractors in areas controlled by Israeli military forces. Some aid still comes into Gaza through the UN and other organisations. The new system has proved to be much deadlier for Palestinians. According to the Gaza health ministry, almost 1,100 people have been killed by gunfire on their way to get food handouts under the new system, in many cases by Israeli soldiers who opened fire on hungry crowds. In the latest such incident, three people were killed by Israeli gunfire while waiting for aid in three separate incidents in northern, central and southern Gaza, said the civil defence agency on Saturday. In total, at least 25 people were killed, reports AFP. The military officials who spoke to The New York Times said that the original UN aid operation was relatively reliable and less vulnerable to Hamas interference than the operations of many of the other groups bringing aid into Gaza. Hamas did steal from some of the smaller organisations that donated aid, according to the senior Israeli officials and others involved in the matter. But, they say, there was no evidence that Hamas regularly stole from the UN, which provided the largest chunk of the aid.