Vice Chief of the Naval Staff Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar today highlighted the importance of durable indigenous technologies for combat readiness, operational flexibility and sustained capability enhancement.
Vice Admiral Kochhar was addressing the Curtain Raiser Press Conference for the fifth edition of the Indian Navy’s flagship Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Seminar, Swavlamban 2026 in New Delhi. He remarked that the evolution of Swavlamban since 2022 has connected the Indian Navy’s operational requirements with the technological capabilities of Indian industry and academia. Emphasising the changing character of modern warfare, he underscored the importance of developing niche technologies into deployable systems at sea.
The two day annual NIIO Seminar Swavlamban wiil begin on monday in New Delhi. Swavlamban 2026 will build upon the Indian Navy’s continuing efforts to translate indigenous technological innovation into operational capabilities and strengthen the foundations of Aatmanirbharta. The seminar will bring together innovators, industry partners, Start-ups, MSMEs, academia, investors and the Defence Forces to explore collaborative solutions for emerging maritime security challenges.
The exhibition at Swavlamban 2026 will include thematic areas, showcasing indigenous innovations that have emerged as success stories, covering niche technologies in Maritime Surveillance, Counter-UAS, Artificial Intelligence and Quantum, Safety and Efficiency Enhancers. Engagements with venture capitalists and investors will form a key component of the seminar, facilitating discussions on funding opportunities, scaling of promising enterprises and commercialisation of indigenous technologies. This year’s seminar will provide a dynamic platform for deliberations on future and emerging technologies with transformative potential to enhance naval operations and strengthen India’s maritime capabilities.
