Arun T. Ramchandani, Senior Vice President and Head of L&T Precision Engineering & Systems (PES), emphasised that India still has a significant distance to cover in developing a strong defence industrial ecosystem. He advocated a dual-pronged strategy: nurturing deep-tech innovation domestically while simultaneously embracing global partnerships for co-development and co-production. According to Ramchandani, India cannot afford to isolate itself; instead, strategic collaboration and ecosystem-building are essential to meet the demands of modern warfare.