NEW DELHI: The nature of warfare is undergoing a fundamental shift, with space emerging as the most critical domain for shaping the future conflicts, Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) said on Thursday.Speaking at the 4th Indian DefSpace Symposium at Manekshaw Centre, Kamat underlined the urgent need for India to accelerate its capabilities in military space, warning that bridging the gap with global rivals will be a “Herculean challenge” without a coordinated national effort.He called for a “whole-of-nation” approach to strengthen India’s position in the rapidly evolving space domain.DRDO’s expanding role in military spaceWhile Indian Space Research Organization continues to lead India’s civilian space programme, Kamat said DRDO has been tasked with addressing the military dimensions of space following the creation of the Defense Space Agency.He noted that although space remains a relatively small part of DRDO’s broader mandate, its importance is growing rapidly. “It needs to grow much more if we have to keep pace with our rivals,” he said.Collaboration key to closing capability gapsTo fast-track progress, DRDO is increasingly relying on collaboration with startups, MSMEs, and academic institutions. The organization has already established Industry Academia Centers of Excellence, with space identified as a priority area in several of them.“There is a lot of interest among academia and startups to contribute to the defense part of the space programme,” Kamat said, expressing confidence that India will gain momentum in developing sovereign capabilities in critical technologies in the coming years.Focus on surveillance, navigation & missile detectionKamat highlighted that while some technologies can still be sourced globally, several critical areas remain restricted and must be developed indigenously. DRDO is currently focusing on space situational awareness to safeguard India’s orbital assets, enhancing the restricted military service of NAVIC, and advancing space-based surveillance and imaging radar systems.The organization is also working on early missile launch detection capabilities—an area flagged as crucial by senior military leadership.He stressed that civil-military integration will be vital, particularly in dual-use technologies such as imaging radar, where both sectors overlap significantly.Need for higher R&D investmentKamat pointed out that India’s current spending on research and development is insufficient to sustain the required pace of advancement. At present, the country allocates only 0.65% of its GDP to R&D, with just 5% of the defense budget earmarked for it. “We definitely need to scale this up if we have to catch up with our rivals,” he said.However, he noted a positive development, stating that the defense minister has committed to increasing defense R&D spending to 10% of the overall defense budget over the next five years. This, he said, would unlock greater opportunities not only for government agencies but also for private players, including startups and MSMEs.Kamat emphasized that India’s long-term goal is to build sovereign capabilities in critical space technologies that cannot be imported and to ensure the security and resilience of its space-based assets in contested environments.He made it clear that achieving this objective will require more than just institutional effort. “It needs to grow much more if we have to keep pace with our rivals,” he reiterated, stressing that success will depend on coordinated action across government, industry, and academia.
