- Admiral Swaminathan invited Skyroot Aerospace to build space capabilities for armed forces
- He highlighted AI, quantum tech, space, and autonomous systems shaping naval warfare
- India's maritime identity links to economic, civilizational, and geopolitical interests
Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan on Sunday invited private space company Skyroot Aerospace to work towards building space capabilities for the armed forces, emphasising the growing importance of space and advanced technologies in modern warfare.
Admiral Krishna Swaminathan made the remarks during his interaction at the NDTV Defence Summit 2026 on Sunday, where he highlighted the changing nature of maritime security and the increasing role of technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum technology, space and autonomous systems.
"AI, quantum tech, space, and autonomous systems are rapidly altering the future character of naval warfare," Admiral Swaminathan said.
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He emphasised that India's maritime identity extends beyond its geographical coastline and is closely linked to the country's economic, civilizational and geopolitical interests.
"A coastline is just a geographical feature, whereas India is a maritime nation -- an economic, civilizational, geopolitical, and psychological concept all by itself," Admiral Swaminathan said, highlighting India's 5,000-year-old maritime heritage stretching from the ancient Lothal dry docks to modern trade networks.
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Swaminathan noted that over 60% of India's GDP originates in coastal states and nearly 18% of the population resides within 50 km of the coast. "Nearly 90% of our trade by volume and over 70% by value moves through maritime routes. The fuel for our automobiles, cooking gas, daily consumables, and even undersea internet cables travel through the sea. The seas are our gateways to prosperity," he noted.
The Navy Chief also warned that the rules-based maritime order has been significantly weakened, with conflicts and disruptions in distant waters having implications for India's economy and security. He further noted that the Indian Ocean region has also emerged as one of the world's most militarised maritime spaces.
Skyroot On India's Space Capabilities
The Navy Chief's call for greater space capabilities comes as India expands the role of the private sector in the country's space ecosystem.
Pawan Kumar Chandana, CEO of Skyroot Aerospace, said nearly 100% of all work that requires massive computing capabilities is expected to happen in space, describing the current period as an important phase for space exploration.
"Humans are ever expanding as a species. I always say that if steel has built modern civilization, space is going to be the future civilization. We are just at the cusp of that transition," Chandana said at the NDTV Defence Summit during a session titled 'Ignition: India's Race to Own Space'.
Skyroot Aerospace is an Indian private space launch vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Hyderabad, Telangana. The company was founded in 2018 by former ISRO scientists Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka.
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