Materials’ Sovereignty - Strategic Sector Imperatives
- Dr. C. V. S. Kiran
- May 1
- 3 min read
A Keynote at CSIR-NML Platinum Jubilee Industry Conclave
India’s ambitions in Defence, Space, Atomic energy and emerging strategic sectors are at a historic inflection point. As the country envisions leadership in high-tech domains, our ability to secure, process and deploy advanced materials becomes the bedrock of strategic autonomy. I was honored to deliver a keynote address on this very theme - “Materials’ Sovereignty – Strategic Sector Imperatives” at the Industry Conclave organized by CSIR-NML on the occasion of its 75th anniversary.
The conclave titled “Indigenization of Materials (IndiMat): Challenges and Opportunities in Strategic Sector” convened thought leaders from across India’s strategic ecosystem - including DRDO, ISRO, HAL, Indian Navy, Air Force, Vedanta and L&T - alongside scientists, startups and policy experts. The event was inaugurated by Shri Jasbir Singh Solanki, CEO, Naval Systems, Homeland & Cyber Security, Mahindra Defence.
Key Points from My Talk
Materials as Strategic Assets
Materials are not commodities. They are enablers of strategic might - from hypersonic systems and re-entry vehicles to satellites, launch vehicles and advanced weapon systems. The mastery of materials defines the limits of a nation’s technological sovereignty.
Critical Gaps
India still faces acute dependence on imports for:
Titanium sponge
Nickel-based superalloys
Carbon-carbon composites
Rare earths and specialty metals (Li, Co, Nb, REEs, etc)
Refractory alloys
Magnetic materials
Smart coatings
Beyond sourcing, we face bottlenecks in qualification, scale-up and mission deployment of indigenous materials. However the root for all these lies in Critical minerals, which are essential for all the strategic sectors.
Opportunities Through Innovation
Technological transitions offer us the opportunity to leapfrog:
Additive Manufacturing (AM) for rapid prototyping and repair
Cold Spray for structural restoration and protective coatings
Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) to shorten development cycles
Advanced surface engineering and smart coatings to enhance performance
Ecosystem & Policy Enablers
For India to lead in materials, we must build:
Material innovation hubs across regions
Tiered supplier ecosystems from minerals to components
Strategic stockpiling and critical mineral partnerships
Funding frameworks for deep-tech materials startups
Time-bound testing and certification centres for defense and space applications
Materials sovereignty is not a choice - it is a necessity. India’s future strategic strength depends on how we invest in metallurgy and materials science today. We must transition from being importers of performance to creators of capability. Finally,
Materials are Strategic Assets - not commodities.
Sovereignty requires urgent investment, ecosystem building, collaborative R&D.
India’s future depends on controlling the science, supply and sustainability of critical materials.
Strategic strength begins with material mastery.
Strategic Strength begins with Material Mastery
I thank the organizers at CSIR-NML, director CSIR-NML Dr. Sandip Ghosh Chowdhury and Dr Vikas C Srivastava, for the opportunity to share ideas, and for curating an extraordinary forum that blended R&D, manufacturing and strategic thinking. Interactions with domain leaders from DRDO, ISRO, HAL and the Armed Forces reaffirmed the collective resolve to build India’s materials future.
A particularly insightful discussion with Dr. Vikas C. Srivastava, Chief Scientist at CSIR-NML, opened exciting avenues for future collaboration. His perspective on translational research and industry engagement aligns strongly with my vision for accelerating materials innovation in India’s strategic sector. I look forward to building on this dialogue in the future ahead.
Additionally, I had the pleasure of visiting Tata Steels, where I also explored their Advanced Materials Characterization Facility and an old friend Dr. Durga Prasad Akula. The infrastructure and depth of capability at Tata Steel are truly world-class. It was inspiring to see how industry is scaling up its research and testing infrastructure to match global demands.
I had an excellent and fruitful discussion with Shri. Jasbir Singh Solanki, CEO, Naval Systems, Homeland & Cyber Security, Mahindra Defence on the way back. His insights on the evolving landscape of indigenous defense technologies and material capabilities were deeply enriching. We explored synergies around strengthening India’s strategic supply chains and accelerating indigenous solutions.
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