East Tech 2025: Jharkhand’s Role in Defence Self-Reliance

The East Tech Symposium 2025 in Ranchi was more than just a defence expo. It was a reminder that Jharkhand, once known as the industrial heart of India, still carries the potential to play a decisive role in the country’s defence self-reliance push.

Two themes dominated the conversations at the Tana Bhagat Indoor Stadium: the urgency of innovation in India’s defence sector and the revival of the Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC). Together, they painted a picture of both promise and unfinished work.

CDS Calls for Speed and Creativity

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan set the tone with a call for imagination and urgency. He linked the Act East policy to eastern states like Jharkhand and Bengal, describing them as “industrial powerhouses” that must become central to India’s strategic ambitions.

For Chauhan, atmanirbharta is not just about factories and machines. It is about building confidence, creativity, and intellectual leadership in warfare. Rejecting the idea of borrowing doctrines from the West, he reminded the audience that war is as much an art as it is a science. “A warrior must be innovative, inventive, and imaginative,” he said, invoking Ramdhari Singh Dinkar to underline the value of fresh thought.

His vision of future warfare rests on three pillars—platforms, systems, and networks—where investment must be sustained and integrated. He pressed for sharper focus on AI, quantum computing, space, cyber, and advanced materials, while also asking for accountability on long-running DRDO projects.

The subtext of Chauhan’s speech was clear: India cannot afford bureaucratic delays or half-hearted efforts. The Services are finalising a ten-year roadmap, but industry, government, and research institutions must match that pace.

HEC: From Pride to Pain

If Chauhan spoke of the future, Chief Minister Hemant Soren forced everyone to confront the past. His speech was a candid reflection on the decline of HEC, once a symbol of India’s industrial pride, which built nuclear components and satellite structures. Today, it is struggling for survival.

“It is painful to see an institution like HEC in this condition,” Soren said, while urging stronger Centre-state coordination to revive it. He framed HEC not as a relic, but as an asset that could be repositioned at the centre of India’s defence industrial strategy.

Jharkhand, he argued, has already given the nation uranium, coal, and steel. With the right policy and support, it could supply the next generation of defence materials and technologies too. His appeal was also political: unless the Centre and state move in tandem, industrial revival will remain a distant dream.

MSMEs and the Local Connect

Beyond the headlines, a quieter but equally important conversation unfolded around MSMEs. The Eastern Command and state leadership underlined how Jharkhand’s smaller enterprises could plug into national defence supply chains. For many MSMEs in Ranchi, Jamshedpur, and Bokaro, this could mean a long-awaited opening into high-value markets.

The state government has promised support, but the real question is whether policies will translate into procurement, hand-holding, and technology tie-ups. For a region that has often seen large-scale industries dominate, the inclusion of MSMEs could spread the benefits more widely.

Why This Matters

For Ranchi, hosting East Tech was itself a moment of visibility. Defence expos are usually associated with Delhi, Bengaluru, or Hyderabad. By bringing East Tech here, the Army’s Eastern Command signalled that eastern India’s industrial potential cannot be ignored.

For Jharkhand, the stakes are higher. The state stands at a crossroads: will it merely supply minerals and raw material, or will it climb up the value chain into advanced manufacturing and defence technology?

The revival of HEC and the integration of MSMEs into defence supply lines could decide the answer.

The Road Ahead

East Tech 2025 was both an exhibition and an inflection point. On one hand, it showcased indigenous defence technologies and created space for industry-military dialogue. On the other, it reminded policymakers that without institutional revival and speedier innovation, India risks falling behind.

The CDS put it bluntly: “The world is moving fast, and India cannot afford to be slow.” For Jharkhand, that urgency may determine whether it regains its industrial edge or remains a supplier of raw material in an era of high-tech warfare.