New Delhi: The Department of Defence Production (DDP), Ministry of Defence, Government of India, and the Standing Conference of Public Enterprises (SCOPE), in association with the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) and Deloitte as the knowledge partner, organised the National Defence Talent & Capability Conclave 2026 recently. The conclave focused on talent development, leadership building and the creation of a future-ready workforce for India’s expanding defence sector.
The event brought together more than 50 participants, including senior government officials from DDP, the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) and PESB, along with Chairmen and Managing Directors (CMDs), Directors of 16 Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) and leaders from the private defence industry.
The conclave marked a first-of-its-kind initiative to bring together stakeholders from the public and private sectors to discuss talent development, multidisciplinary skills and future leadership requirements across India’s defence ecosystem.
Senior Government Officials Address Defence Talent Conclave
The conclave was addressed by Sanjeev Kumar, Secretary, Department of Defence Production; K. Moses Chalai, Secretary, Department of Public Enterprises; PESB Members Alkesh Kumar Sharma and Roop Narayan Sunkar; and Atul Sobti, Director General, SCOPE.
The event was also attended by Vijay Namdeorao Zade, Joint Secretary, DDP; Smt. Manisha Chandra, Joint Secretary, DDP; and Smt. Meera Mohanty, Joint Secretary, DDP.
The participation of senior government officials and industry leaders provided a platform to discuss the evolving talent requirements of India’s defence sector and strategies for developing capable leaders to support its future growth.
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Private Defence Industry Leaders Share Talent Development Strategies
The conclave witnessed participation from leading private defence organisations, including:
- Tata Advanced Systems Limited
- L&T Precision Engineering & Systems
- Kalyani Strategic Systems Limited
- Astra Microwave Products Limited
During the panel discussion, industry representatives shared suggestions on strengthening talent development and preparing employees for emerging technological and leadership challenges.
Key areas discussed included nurturing young talent, promoting multidisciplinary skills, adopting artificial intelligence (AI), strengthening industry-academia collaboration and providing early leadership opportunities.
The discussions highlighted the importance of collaboration between public sector defence enterprises, private industry and academic institutions in developing a skilled workforce capable of meeting the requirements of a rapidly evolving defence ecosystem.
Sanjeev Kumar Emphasises Expanding the Defence Talent Pool
Sanjeev Kumar, Secretary, Department of Defence Production, highlighted the need to expand the defence sector’s talent pool in line with its growing scale and requirements.
He emphasised the importance of human resource development, identifying and nurturing talent, and providing employees with meaningful roles and responsibilities at an early stage of their careers.
His address underlined the need for organisations to invest in their workforce and create opportunities that enable employees to develop their skills, gain experience and take on greater responsibilities.
K. Moses Chalai Highlights Manpower Development for Defence Growth
K. Moses Chalai, Secretary, Department of Public Enterprises, stressed that sustaining growth in the defence sector requires a comprehensive approach to capability development.
He highlighted the importance of production, supply chains, value chains and technology, while emphasising manpower development as a critical factor in achieving long-term growth.
His remarks reinforced the need for defence organisations to align workforce capabilities with evolving production requirements, technological advancements and the strategic priorities of the sector.
PESB Members Stress Cross-Functional Leadership Development
Alkesh Kumar Sharma, Member, PESB, highlighted the importance of strengthening the leadership pipeline by providing talented employees with cross-functional assignments and formal roles across different organisational functions.
Such opportunities can help employees gain broader professional experience, develop management capabilities and prepare for leadership positions.
Roop Narayan Sunkar, Member, PESB, emphasised that leadership development in the defence sector should extend beyond manufacturing to include functions such as legal and finance.
He highlighted the importance of bringing together professionals from diverse disciplines to support holistic leadership development and enable organisations to build leaders with a wider understanding of business and operational requirements.
Atul Sobti Calls for Collaboration Between Public and Private Defence Sectors
Atul Sobti, Director General, SCOPE, described the conclave as a first-of-its-kind initiative bringing together public and private sector organisations from the defence industry.
He emphasised the importance of fostering a culture of competing, collaborating and coexisting while developing leaders equipped with strategic foresight and strong technical expertise.
The discussions highlighted the value of cooperation between public sector enterprises and private industry in addressing common talent challenges, sharing best practices and preparing future leaders for the changing requirements of India’s defence ecosystem.
Conclave Focuses on Building a Future-Ready Defence Workforce
The National Defence Talent & Capability Conclave 2026 underscored the growing importance of human capital in strengthening India’s defence manufacturing and industrial capabilities.
The discussions focused on developing young talent, encouraging multidisciplinary expertise, adopting emerging technologies and creating structured leadership opportunities. Greater industry-academia collaboration was also identified as an important area for preparing professionals for future challenges.
By bringing together government officials, DPSUs and private defence companies, the conclave provided a common platform to exchange ideas and explore approaches to leadership development and workforce capability building across the defence sector.
About SCOPE
The Standing Conference of Public Enterprises (SCOPE) is an apex organisation representing Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) in India. It works to promote excellence, professional development, improved management practices and the growth of public sector enterprises through capacity-building initiatives, knowledge-sharing platforms and engagement with government and industry stakeholders.
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