New Delhi, March 20 -- Ongoing conflicts, including the war in West Asia, have shown that drones and counter-drone technologies will be central to future warfare and India must take steps to position itself as a global hub for drone manufacturing by 2030 to meet the country's defence requirements and preserve its strategic autonomy, defence minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday. Self-reliance in the drone sector, he said, was critical given the current geopolitical uncertainties. "Self-reliance in drone manufacturing is essential not merely at the product level, but also at the component level," Singh said at a conclave on Advanced Manufacturing Technologies. "From the drone's moulds to its software, engines, and batteries, everything must be manufactured in India. This is no easy task. In most countries where drones are manufactured, a significant number of critical components are currently imported from China. India must work in a mission mode to emerge as a global hub of indigenous drone manufacturing," Singh said, highlighting the urgency to create a local drone production ecosystem....