Bharat’s Next Frontier: AI, Defence, And Strategic Sovereignty

Last Updated:February 26, 2026, 23:25 IST

The News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2026, themed Strength Within, will convene these urgent conversations on 27–28 February at Bharat Mandapam

Ongoing global conflicts have delivered a clear signal: technology now shapes outcomes as much as troop strength. From drone strikes and AI-enabled surveillance to cyber disruption and satellite intelligence, modern battlefields are defined by speed, data, and precision.

In India’s recent Operation Sindoor, real-time intelligence fusion and drone-led reconnaissance demonstrated how AI-enabled systems can compress decision cycles and reduce operational risk. Battlefield awareness powered by data is no longer a support function; it is central to mission success.

Globally, the shift is unmistakable. The war in Ukraine has shown how low-cost drones and AI-assisted targeting can blunt conventional military advantages. In West Asia, autonomous systems and integrated air defence networks are redefining deterrence. Across the Indo-Pacific, cyber capability and space-based surveillance are becoming as critical as traditional firepower. The character of conflict is evolving faster than doctrine.

Against this backdrop, the News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2026, themed Strength Within, will convene these urgent conversations on 27–28 February at Bharat Mandapam.

Industry leaders such as Amit B. Kalyani, Vice Chairman & Joint Managing Director, Bharat Forge; Arun Ramchandani, Head of L&T-MBDA Missile Systems; and Dr Udayant Malhoutra, Managing Director & CEO, Dynamatic Technologies, will examine how precision manufacturing underpins credible deterrence. Strategic and security perspectives will come from Rajesh Kumar Singh, Defence Secretary; General Sir Nick Carter, former UK Chief of the Defence Staff; Adrien Fontanellaz, military historian and author; Tom Cooper, Austrian aerial warfare analyst; Michael Kugelman, Director at the Wilson Center’s South Asia Institute; Ruchira Kamboj, former President of the UN Security Council; Taranjit Singh Sandhu, former Ambassador of India to the United States; and Kanwal Sibal, former Foreign Secretary of India.

On the AI front, Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, MeitY; Shashi Shekhar Vempati, Founder, AI4India; Spiros Margaris, Founder, Margaris Ventures; Dr Nagendra Nagaraja, Founder, QpiAI; Sunil Gupta, CEO, QNu Labs; Awais Ahmed, Founder, Pixxel; Ankit Mehta, Co-founder, ideaForge; Anirudh Sharma, Founder, Digantara; and Dr Vishal Sikka, Founder & CEO, Vianai, will chart India’s path toward AI sovereignty in defence.

As defence production scales to record levels and deep-tech capability moves from prototype to deployment, Bharat stands at a defining moment. The question is no longer whether it can participate in the next era of warfare, but whether it can help shape it. Strategic influence in the coming decade will rest with nations that control their supply chains, secure their data, and master intelligent systems. The News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2026 will bring this imperative into sharp focus, convening the voices shaping policy, industry, and innovation as Bharat charts its path towards enduring strategic sovereignty.

27–28 February 2026 | Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi

Register now: https://www.news18features.com/risingbharatsummit/

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