Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth today said that MSMEs and Start-ups are playing a central role in making India a global defence manufacturing hub. The Minister said this while delivering the valedictory session of the National Defence Industries Conclave (NDIC) 2026, in New Delhi. He noted that the all-time high allocation to the Ministry of Defence in the Union Budget 2026-27 is providing an opportunity to the MSMEs and start-ups to make the nation’s defence sector self-reliant. The two-day conclave brought together MSMEs, Defence Public Sector Undertakings, private defence companies, innovators, policymakers and academia to deliberate on strengthening India’s defence manufacturing ecosystem.