"Technology Must Be Owned In India": Samtel CEO On Viksit Bharat Goal
Samtel Avionics CEO Puneet Kaura argues that India must develop its own intellectual property in defense and space technology to achieve 'Viksit Bharat' status. He emphasizes that local manufacturing is insufficient and calls for a stronger domestic ecosystem for critical components like AI and drone systems.
Why it matters
This highlights India's strategic shift toward technological sovereignty and reducing reliance on foreign defense imports.
India cannot become a "Viksit Bharat" unless the country develops and owns more of its own technology, Samtel Avionics CEO Puneet Kaura said on Sunday. Samtel is a well-known defence avionics company which is now expanding its footprint in space tech and drone manufacturing.Speaking at the NDTV Defence Summit 2026, Kaura said, "We will never be a Viksit Bharat till we actually have enough owned-in-India IP-wise technologies."#NDTVDefenceSummit2026 | "We will never be a Viksit Bharat till we actually have enough owned-in-India IP, IP-wise, technologies": @SamtelAvionics CEO @PuneetKaura2104@AdityaRajKaul pic.twitter.com/JX6r9DxeNY - NDTV (@ndtv) September 27, 2026Kaura said that India needs to do more than just manufacture defence equipment. He stated that India has a big opportunity in areas such as drones, artificial intelligence, space, sensors and autonomous systems. "Not just Make in India, but own in India," Kaura added.
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