MUMBAI, Sept 23
The maiden Tri Services Academia Tech Symposium (T-SATS), a landmark two-day initiative aimed at synergising the Services-Academia R&D ecosystem, concluded at the Manekshaw Centre, here on Tuesday.
The symposium brought together top minds from the armed forces, academia and research institutions to accelerate indigenous defence research and innovation. It provided an opportunity to academia, especially scholars and innovators to present their research studies and innovations, and identify their possible military use cases.
Addressing the gathering, Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan appreciated the R&D Exhibition showcasing the high-potential of academia in defence related innovations. He felicitated select project proposals and exhibits and also announced ten promising project proposals which will be taken up for R&D. Pradhan lauded the Armed Forces for placing their trust in India’s youth and academia, noting that this partnership is transforming research into real defence applications. He highlighted India’s rapid rise in global innovation rankings, the expansion of universities in international listings, and the doubling of research expenditure as indicators of growing national capability.
He underlined India’s shift from defence imports to exports, with achievements like Operation Sindoor, the success of DRDO and ISRO showcasing the power of indigenous innovation.
He called for academia, industry, and the Armed Forces to continue this collaboration as an annual mechanism for national strength and self-reliance. Minister of State for defence Sanjay Seth highlighted that the Tri-Services Academia Tech Symposium has underscored the immense potential of our scientific talent to develop technologies for the operational needs of the Armed Forces. Emphasising that 2025 has been declared as the Year of Reforms, he outlined initiatives to modernise the forces through AI, cyber, robotics, hypersonics, and space technologies, alongside simplified procurement and strengthened Integrated Theatre Commands.
Showcasing success stories like Operation Sindoor and the iDEX programme, he noted India’s rapid growth in defence production, with MSMEs and start-ups playing a crucial role. He called upon academia, industry, and the Armed Forces to translate discussions into bold actions, making India future-ready and globally recognised for strength, progress, and self-reliance.
Chief of the Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi, in his address, emphasised the need to invest in niche technologies, highlighting the untapped potential of academia – military collaboration.
