Press Information Bureau

The Curtain Raiser Press Conference for the fifth edition of the Indian Navy’s flagship Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Seminar, Swavlamban 2026, was conducted in New Delhi on 19 Oct 2026 under the chairmanship of VAdm Ajay Kochhar, Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS).

The annual NIIO Seminar Swavlamban is scheduled to be conducted on 26 and 27 Oct 2026 at Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi. Swavlamban 2026 will build upon the Indian Navy’s continuing efforts to translate indigenous technological innovation into operational capabilities and strengthen the foundations of Aatmanirbharta. The seminar will bring together innovators, industry partners, Start-ups, MSMEs, academia, investors and the Defence Forces to explore collaborative solutions for emerging maritime security challenges.

Addressing the media, the VCNS remarked that the evolution of Swavlamban since 2022 has connected the Indian Navy’s operational requirements with the technological capabilities of Indian industry and academia. Emphasising the changing character of modern warfare, the VCNS underscored the importance of developing niche technologies into deployable systems at sea. For a Navy operating across extended distances and undertaking prolonged deployments, he highlighted the importance of durable indigenous technologies for combat readiness, operational flexibility and sustained capability enhancement.

The exhibition at Swavlamban 2026 will include thematic areas, showcasing indigenous innovations that have emerged as success stories, covering niche technologies in Maritime Surveillance, Counter-UAS, Artificial Intelligence and Quantum, NBCD, Safety and Efficiency Enhancers. Engagements with venture capitalists and investors will form a key component of the seminar, facilitating discussions on funding opportunities, scaling of promising enterprises and commercialisation of indigenous technologies.

This year’s seminar will provide a dynamic platform for deliberations on future and emerging technologies with transformative potential to enhance naval operations and strengthen India’s maritime capabilities. Panel with SMEs will hold sessions on self-reliance and strengthening the iDEX ecosystem to build resilient supply chains, foster academic entrepreneurship and highlight the journeys of start-ups.

Swavlamban 2026 will also witness release of the Swavlamban 5.0 Document, the Compendium on Technology Imperatives, and the Naval Unified Systems, Ethernet and Tactical Utilisation (NAUSETU) Interface Standards.

The event seeks to strengthen the collaboration of the Indian Navy with the innovation ecosystem for a future-proof force, aligning technological goals with the evolving requirement of modern-day warfare.

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