Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said technology has "transformed" the conventional warfare into an unconventional one, and adoption of "unconventional ideas", not yet known to the world, is the only way to progress while navigating this change.

In his address at the 'DRDO-Industry Workshop on Defence Technology Acceleration' held at the DRDO Bhawan here, he also called upon the private sector to move forward from the state of 'participation' to 'taking lead' in the defence sector.

Today, technology has "transformed" conventional warfare into unconventional warfare, the defence minister said.

"New dimensions have been added to modern-day warfare, such as drones, cyber warfare, bio-weapons and space defence. In this transformative phase, research and development in defence will definitely make the defence sector stronger," he was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the defence ministry.

It is heartening to witness Indian scientists, industrialists, academia, start-ups, MSMEs and young entrepreneurs working together in this endeavour, he said.

The defence minister asserted that "it is time for the private sector to take lead as it has the ability to absorb rapid changes and create new innovations".

Singh, in his address, described the adoption of "unconventional ideas, not yet known to the world, as the only way to progress in unconventional warfare".

Acknowledging it as a tough task, he stated that the government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will "continue providing all necessary support" to the youth, scientists, industrialists and MSMEs in this endeavour.

Singh reiterated the government's commitment to make the defence sector more innovative and technology-oriented.

At the event, the minister launched 'Dare to Dream 5.0' to encourage next generation of innovators and start-ups to come forward with transformative ideas for defence applications.

The fifth edition of DRDO's innovation contest aims to generate cutting-edge solutions for India to progress further in its pursuit to achieve 'aatmanirbharta' in defence technologies, the statement said.

Singh also felicitated the winners of 'Dare to Dream 4.0', recognising individual innovators, start-ups and MSMEs for disruptive solutions and innovations in the fields of countermeasures for drones and swarm of drones; advanced acoustic system to locate gunfire, directed energy technologies, cognitive listening device, target seeking, among others.

He described the challenges as a testament to the commitment of the industrial ecosystem of the country to protect the future of the defence sector.

"Like our brave soldiers, scientists, industry leaders, academia, start-ups, MSMEs and entrepreneurs too are the warriors of the country, prepared to complete every assigned task," he said.

Singh laid emphasis on the need to achieve advancements in both incremental and disruptive technologies within the defence sector.

The solutions to challenges obtained through initiatives such as 'Dare to Dream' bridge the critical gap between the two types of technologies, he said.

The defence minister called upon the scientists, start-ups and young entrepreneurs to think out-of-the-box and come out with the latest innovations as if it were their habit to accept and overcome challenges.

Singh exhorted the private sector to move in line with the "unprecedented speed" with which the technological changes are taking place across the globe.

He urged them to ensure, through timely assessment, that a technology does not become outdated when it is rolled out.

The defence minister also called for development of projects, under TDF (Technology Development Fund), based on cutting-edge technology, and "devising a system of comprehensive scan within the scheme to avoid duplication of technologies", the statement said.

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