Aerospace and Defence Manufacturing Summit

Empowering AtmaNirbhar Bharat: India’s Aerospace & Defence Manufacturing Summit

A special initiative by the Munjal Institute for Global Manufacturing (MIGM), this one-day summit will convene senior leaders from the Indian Armed Forces, defence industry, R&D institutions, academia, startups, and policymakers to chart India’s path towards becoming a globally competitive hub for aerospace and defence manufacturing.

Date	November 15, 2025
Time	10:00 am - 05:15 pm IST
Location	ISB, Hyderabad Campus Open in Google Maps

About the Event

As India redefines its place in global defence and aerospace manufacturing, the sector is fast emerging as a cornerstone of the nation’s strategic strength and technological advancement. From Operation Sindoor to the surge in defence exports, the AtmaNirbhar Bharat initiative is already delivering tangible outcomes and shaping a new era of self-reliance. This summit builds on that momentum, providing a crucial platform to reflect on these achievements and explore the road ahead for India’s aerospace and defence manufacturing.

Focus Areas:

Mission Self-reliance
Innovation & R&D Excellence
Private Sector as a Strategic Partner
Building Capability at Scale
Global Partnerships & Geopolitics

Format:

The one-day summit will comprise keynote addresses and panel discussions covering defence manufacturing, aerospace innovations, and the policy landscape. The program will include:

Keynote talks by government leaders
Panel discussions with policymakers, military leaders, R&D experts, industry pioneers, global experts, and thought leaders
Dedicated sessions featuring startups and academia on innovation and future-readiness

Keynote Speakers

Hon’ble Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh (Invited)
Union Minister of Heavy Industries Shri H.D. Kumaraswamy (Invited)

Dr. Anshuman Roy

Founder and CEO, Rhombus Power Inc

Deepak N G

Managing Director, Dassault Systèmes India

Drona Sreenivas

Head Defence Projects, T-Hub

Manoj Jain

Chairman & Managing Director of Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL)

BVR Mohan Reddy

Founder Chairman of Cyient

Ravi Kapoor

General Partner, Indusbridge Ventures

Salil Gupte

President, Boeing - India & South Asia, VP, Boeing Global

Dr. D. K. Sunil

Chairman & Managing Director of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)

Agenda

Venue: Khemka Auditorium | ISB, Hyderabad

Date: November 15, 2025, Saturday

Time: 10:00 AM

10:00 am - 10:10 am (10 min)	Inauguration by the Chief Guest
10:15 am - 10:30 am (15 min)	Welcome Address by Shri Sunil Kant Munjal, Chairman, Hero Enterprise
10:30 am - 11:00 am (30 min)	Keynote Address by Chief Guest Shri Rajnath Singh, Hon’ble Defence Minister
11:00 am - 11:50 am (50 min)	Inaugural Session Mission Self-Reliance: Policy Enablers and Strategic Roadmap Suggested Speakers: Sanjeev Kumar, Secretary (Defence Production) Salil Gupte, President, Boeing - India & South Asia, VP, Boeing Global General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Nikhil Gandhi, Promoter & Chairman of Pipavav Defence Dr. D. K. Sunil, Chairman & Managing Director of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Manoj Jain, Chairman & Managing Director of Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) Moderator: Madan M. Pillutla, Dean of the Indian School of Business
11:50 am - 12:40 pm (50 min)	Session II Fostering Innovation: R&D, iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence), and the Startup Ecosystem Suggested Speakers: Dr. Samir V. Kamat – Chairman, DRDO Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, Chief of the Air Staff Dr. S Dwarakanath, Director General, Aerospace India Association Satish K. Kaura, Chairman of Samtel Group Sandeep Nanduri, Managing Director, TIDCO (Tamilnadu Defence Industrial Corridor) Ravi Kapoor, General Partner, Indusbridge Ventures BVR Mohan Reddy, Founder Chairman of Cyient Drona Sreenivas, Head Defence Projects, T-Hub Dr. Anshuman Roy, Founder and CEO, Rhombus Power Inc. Moderator: Chandan Chowdhury
12:40 pm - 01:30 pm (50 min)	Session III Private Sector as a Strategic Partner: Investment, IP, and Exports Suggested Speakers: Kamran Rizvi, Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries Col Sanjay Singh, CGM, UP DIC, UPEIDA (Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor) Ashish Saraf, Vice President and Country Head, Pratt & Whitney (Was with Thales India earlier as its Country Head) Sukaran Singh, MD & CEO of Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) Ankit Mehta, CEO, ideaForge Technology Ltd. Moderator: Sunil Kant Munjal
01:30 pm - 02:20 pm (50 min)	Lunch
02:20 pm - 03:10 pm (50 min)	Session IV Building Capability at Scale: Talent, Technology, and Training Suggested Speakers: Dr. V. Narayanan, Chairman, ISRO General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Army Staff - [Replacement Suggested] Deepak N G, Managing Director, Dassault Systèmes India Moderator:
03:10 pm - 04:00 pm (50 min)	Session V Global Partnerships and the New Geopolitics of Defence Manufacturing Suggested Speakers: Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, Vice Chief of Navy Staff Eric Garcetti, U.S. Ambassador to India Nguyen Thanh Hai, Ambassador of Vietnam to India Vikram Misri, Foreign Secretary – MEA S. N. Subrahmanyan, Chairman & MD, Larsen & Toubro Moderator:
04:00 pm - 04:30 pm (30 min)	Tea & Coffee Break
04:30 pm - 05:00 pm (30 min)	Valedictory Session - Shri H. D. Kumaraswamy, Hon'ble Minister of Heavy Industries
05:00 pm - 05:15 pm (15 min)	Vote of Thanks

Registration

Registration Fees: NIL – participation by invitation and confirmation only

Rinki_sikka@isb.edu