Harish Kumar
Under the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision, India's goals of becoming self-reliant in the field of defence have taken stride. Indigenous production and procurements have captured significant policy interest and, at the same time, innovation systems and technology transfer arrangements have also come to the fore as crucial means of achieving sustainable competitiveness. The current research aims to focus on the contribution of innovation ecosystems and technology transfer in bolstering India's defence manufacturing. A quantitative method of research was used, and 300 respondents, representing the roles of policymakers, defence professionals, researchers, and industry stakeholders, were selected. The results show that innovation ecosystems promote technological developments, knowledge and collaboration and at the same time technology transfer improves manufacturing abilities and dependence coming from abroad. The study emphasises the need for cooperation among industry, academia and government and policy support to encourage the spirit of indigenous innovation. It concludes that innovation network and technology absorption capability can play significant roles in defence self-reliance and global competitiveness.