Keynote Address

Shri Rajnath Singh

Hon'ble Minister of Defence
Govt. of India

Special Address

General Manoj Pande

Former Army Chief

Admiral Sunil Lanba

Former Navy Chief

Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari

Former IAF Chief

Shri Sanjeev Kumar

Secretary, Department of Defence Production
Govt. of India

About

In alignment with India’s growing military capability, there is unprecedented dynamism and buzz in the country’s military-industrial complex and the ecosystem. This is happening even as the country has embarked on historic reforms in order to transform the military. Integration, jointness and the massive move to set up theatre commands are part of this effort. The industrial landscape is now peppered with Start-Ups and MSMEs fuelled by the spirit of innovation, unique, genius and a nationalistic ethos. Even as Indian military exports are finding new and widening markets on foreign shores, global defence industry giants are pursuing efforts to be part of India’s military growth story. For 2024, while defence production touched about Rs 1,27,000 crore growing 16.7% year-on-year, defence exports recorded a growth of 32.5% year-on-year.

With its excellent and unique credentials in reporting on military matters - be they about conflicts, technology or even welfare of personnel - THE WEEK is hosting a one-day event at the prestigious Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi on April 17, 2025. THE WEEK DEFENCE CONCLAVE 2025: FORCE OF THE FUTURE will discuss the challenges and opportunities for the Indian military to become self-reliant and future-ready over the next two decades.

Speakers

Lt Gen Rahul R. Singh

Deputy Chief of Army Staff (CD&S)

Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan

Deputy chief of Integrated Defence Staff

Lt Gen Vinod Khandare

Former adviser, MoD & former DG, DIA

Maj Rajprasad R.S.

Service innovator, Army Design Bureau

Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan

Vice Chief of Naval Staff

Lt Gen D.S. Rana

DG, Defence Intelligence Agency

Lt Gen Amardeep Singh Aujla

Master General Sustenance
Indian Army

Lt Gen M.U. Nair

National Cyber Security Coordinator

Shri Samir Sinha

Additional Secretary
Ministry of Defence

Maj Gen Shantanu Kashyap

Additional DG, Army Aviation

Shri Sanjay Mitra

Former Defence Secretary

R.K. Mathur

Former Secretary,
Department of Defence Production

Dr Samir V. Kamat

Chairperson, DRDO

Shri Atul D. Rane

Former CMD
Brahmos Aerospace

Dr C.P. Ramanarayanan

Former Director (GTRE)
DRDO

Lt Gen Shokin Chauhan

Former DG, Assam Rifles

Lt Gen D.P. Pandey

Former Addl DG, Public Interface

Shri R.R. Swain

Former DGP Jammu and Kashmir

Gp Cap Rajiv Kumar Narang (rtd)

Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses

Tarun Wig

Co-Founder & CEO, Innefu Labs

Bronze Partner

Themes for Panel discussions

Momentous Changes:
Defence Reforms

The challenges of the fighter engine. Where do we go after the Kaveri?

How ready is India to ‘Make for the World‘? India’s Defence export potential

Building a builder’s Navy (How to make India a warship manufacturing hub?)

Deep and Niche Technologies: Where are we?

To Make or to Buy? How do the Services choose?

keynote
Session
Panel
Discussions
Exclusive
Conversations
Exhibition
Zone
Networking
Lunch
Cocktails

Sessions

10:00 AM – 10:10 AM - * Lighting of Lamp

10:10 AM - 10:20 AM - * Welcome address: Shri Riyad Mathew, Chief Associate Editor and Director Malayalam Manorama group & The Week

10:20 AM - 10:30 AM - * Launch of The Week Defence Micro-site by the Hon’ble Defence Minister and Riyad Mathew

10:30 AM - 10:35 AM - * Audio Visual presentation of making of the FORCE OF THE FUTURE

10:35 AM - 11:00 AM - * Keynote Address by HON’BLE DEFENCE MINISTER SHRI RAJNATH SINGH

11:00 AM - 11:05 AM - * Vote of Thanks by Riyad Mathew

11:05 AM - 11:15 AM - * Tea and departure of the Hon’ble Defence Minister

PANELISTS:

1. Sanjay Mitra, former defence secretary (Moderator)

2. Lt Gen Vinod Khandare(rtd), ex advisor MoD, former DG, DIA

3. Lt Gen DP Pandey (rtd)

4. Gp Cap (Dr) Rajiv Kumar Narang (Rtd) MP-IDSA

PANELISTS:

1. Air Marshal Ajay Kumar Arora (rtd), former Air OIC Maintenance (M)

2. Dr SV Ramanamurthy, Director, Gas Turbine Research Estb (GTRE)

3. Anshuman Tripathi, ex Advisor, National Security Advisory Board (NSAB)

4. V Venkat Raju, MD, VEM Technologies, Hyderabad

5. Air Vice Marshal Suresh Singh (rtd)

6. HAL representative (TBC)

PANELISTS:

1. Maj Gen KV Jauhar, former DG, Army Design Bureau (ADB) (M)

2. Dharmendra K Singh, Joint Secretary and Acquisition Manager (Air), Ministry of Defence

3. Dr Atul D Rane, former CMD, Brahmos

4. Venkat Katkuri, Head, Defence and Space, India & South Asia, Airbus

5. Dr C Ramanarayanan, former Director GTRE

PANELISTS:

1. Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, Navy Vice Chief (M)

2. Vice Admiral Rajaram Swaminathan, CWPNA (Controller of Warship Production & Acquisition)

3. Dr Manu Korulla, Director General (Resources and Management), DRDO

4. Jathesh Chandra, Director General (Design), Cochin Shipyard

5. Cdr Vasudev Puranik, Director (Corporate Planning & Personnel), Mazagon Dock

6. Commodore RS Vasan (rtd), DG, Chennai Centre for China Studies

PANELISTS:

1. Lt Gen MU Nair (rtd),National Cyber Security Coordinator (M)

2. Lt Gen DS Rana, DG, Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA)

3. Maj Gen Shantanu Kashyap, ADG, Army Aviation Corps

4. RR Swain, former DGP, J&K

5. Air Vice Marshal Rajeeva Ranjan (rtd)

6. Tarun Wig, Co-Founder & CEO, Innefu Labs

PANELISTS:

1. RK Mathur, former Defence Secretary and former Lieutenant Gov, Ladakh (M)

2. Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (PP&FD)

3. Lt Gen Rahul R Singh, Deputy Chief of Army Staff (CD&S)

4. Lt Gen ADS Aujla, Master General Sustenance, Indian Army

5. Air Marshal Sanjeev Kapoor (Retd), former Director General (Inspection & Safety), IAF

PANELISTS:

1. Major RajPrasad RS, Service Innovator, Army Design Bureau (M)

2. Commodore Arun P Golaya, former OIC, Technology Development Acceleration Cell (TDAC), Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation

3. Prof Manan Suri, IIT Delhi

4. Abhishek Jain, founder chairman, startup forum, Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM)

5. Rini Bansal, Director Carbon Light

6. Dr Rashi Mehrotra, Director, AiKairos

7. Dr Nagendra Babu Samineni, MD, Unistring Tech

Contact

Registration & RSVP

Anuj Mathur | 9810812855

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Sponsorship queries

Atul Arora | 9899944554