India, March 20 -- Underlining the important role played by drone and anti-drone technology in the ongoing Iran-Israel and Russia-Ukraine conflicts, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said India must develop a robust ecosystem for drone manufacturing.

Making this assertion in his address at the National Defence Industries Conclave, he also said: "For India's defence preparedness and strategic autonomy, it is essential that India becomes fully self-reliant in drone manufacturing."

"As the entire world watches the ongoing conflict involving Russia and Ukraine, along with Iran-Israel, we can clearly see the extremely significant role of drones and counter-drone technologies in future warfare," Rajnath Singh said.

"Today, there is ...