Ex-Army Chief Gen Naravane stresses adaptability amid global flux, hails $2B drone procurement

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], June 6 : Former Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane (Retd) has stressed the importance of adaptability in the face of evolving global security challenges, calling it the "need of the hour."
Speaking to reporters on current strategic priorities, he said, "The global situation has always been in a state of flux. The need of the hour is to be able to adapt to these changes, which are taking place and always keep our national interest in mind."
Naravane also highlighted the increasing role of unmanned aerial vehicles in modern warfare, pointing to India's recent $2 billion drone procurement as a key step in strengthening defence capabilities.
"Drones are not just quadcopters, but all kinds of unmanned aerial vehicles have had a major role to play in all the wars that we have seen in the recent past. Learning from these experiences, the Indian Armed Forces have also now concentrated majorly on the procurement of drones by the Army, Navy and Air Force," he said.
He further acknowledged the contribution of domestic companies and MSMEs in the production and manufacturing of drones. "As far as the production and manufacturing of drones is concerned, our indigenous companies, the MSMEs, have had a major role to play in this to make it possible for us to produce drones in large numbers," Naravane added.
The remarks underline India's focus on modernising its defence arsenal while bolstering indigenous production capabilities in strategic sectors.
The emphasis on modernising the armed forces and boosting indigenous defence production was further reinforced by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who on Thursday unveiled the revised Delegation of Financial Powers to Defence Services (DFPDS-2026), a move aimed at streamlining procurement and empowering field commanders.
In a post on X, the Defence Minister wrote, "I congratulate MoD and the Armed Forces on getting enhanced Financial Powers for Revenue related Procurement having annual value of more than Rs 1.25 Lakh crore under the new delegation of financial powers (DFPDS-2026)."
Highlighting the strategic impact of the reforms, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated that the new framework will empower field commanders to make faster decisions, boost operational readiness, and minimise dependence on foreign equipment manufacturers by promoting domestic research.
As per the release, "The Financial Powers delegated for indigenisation and Research & Development within the military ecosystem have been doubled to boost Aatmanirbharta in defence by minimising the dependency on Foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers. The revised delegation of financial powers will facilitate procurement of more than Rs 1.25 lakh crore through the revenue route, as per current year budgetary allocations."
"This revised delegation in financial powers, along with the revised Defence Procurement Manual notified in October 2025, will give a fillip to defence procurement with expeditious decision-making. This will lead to the timely availability of resources as per the needs of the Defence Forces," the release said.