India spends just 1% of GDP on R&D, says ex-Air Chief Marshal Vivek Chaudhary
Delivering the opening lecture on ‘Self-Reliance in the Defence Sector’, Chaudhary stressed the risks of over-dependence on foreign defence suppliers
India spends just 1% of its GDP on research and development (R&D), significantly lower than China’s 2.6%, which translates to $496 billion annually, retired Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhary said on Wednesday. He warned that such limited investment hampers India’s ambition for strategic autonomy, especially in the defence sector.
Chaudhary was speaking at the launch of the ‘Vikasit Bharat Sanvad’ lecture series, organised by the Union Ministry of Higher and Technical Education. The event was inaugurated by Minister Chandrakant Patil and attended by senior officials, educators, and students across Maharashtra.
Delivering the opening lecture on ‘Self-Reliance in the Defence Sector’, Chaudhary stressed the risks of over-dependence on foreign defence suppliers.
“Supplies can be cut off or delayed at critical moments. We must develop robust domestic capabilities,” he said.
Referring to global conflicts and the rising use of unmanned technologies, he noted that even countries like Russia have turned to external suppliers like Iran for drones.
Citing India’s post-Pokhran nuclear tests experience, Chaudhary emphasised the strategic risks of relying on imports:
“We cannot fight a war with borrowed weapons. We need to be prepared with our own.”
He credited Dr APJ Abdul Kalam for inspiring early defence R&D but warned that India still has a long way to go. A long-term import-driven procurement strategy, he said, is economically unsustainable.
Chaudhary called for an integrated ecosystem combining investment, innovation, and human capital. Citing PM Narendra Modi’s ‘5-I’ framework, Intent, Inclusion, Investment, Infrastructure, Innovation, he stressed collaboration between public institutions, private industry, and MSMEs.
He urged universities to reorient curricula to create skilled professionals for defence research and manufacturing.
“Students must become skilled contributors, not just degree holders,” he said.
Highlighting two upcoming defence corridors in Maharashtra, he said they will help decentralise manufacturing, attract FDI, and create jobs.
“If we truly want a Viksit Bharat by 2047, we must act now—not just to grow the economy, but to make it self-reliant,” Chaudhary concluded.
