New Delhi [India]: A two-day national seminar and industry meet on 'Emerging Technologies in Infrastructure Development' organized by Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) is underway with over 500 delegates participating in five technical sessions. Defense Secretary Giridhar Armane inaugurated it here on Thursday. The two-day event with participation from the Armed Forces, Academia Industry and DRDO aims to promote dialogue, exchange knowledge and explore innovative approaches to address challenges and opportunities. The Defense Secretary presented the emerging technologies in infrastructure development and stressed the need to achieve self-reliance in every sector to meet future challenges. He said that India is a country with a significant percentage of youth population, and self-reliance will ensure gainful employment for them.Underscoring the importance of achieving 'self-reliance' in defence, Giridha Armane stressed that there is no credible trend in geopolitics, and India cannot do this. Dependent on other countries to safeguard its security and national interests, he stressed that self-reliance will help the country make great progress on the path to becoming a developed nation by 2047. He said that latest weapons/equipment are being provided to the armed forces personnel. The private sector should contribute to strengthening the infrastructure setup in the border areas, he said, mentioning the Vibrant Villages programme, which aims to motivate people to live in their native places in the border areas, and set up separate sections from companies Urged to do. Their respective organisations, which focus on development in remote areas, called on the industry to stand shoulder to shoulder with the government and focus on mass production of quality products in a time bound manner.He urged the industry to collaborate with academia to enhance the skills of the workforce that can help transform a technology into a product. Speaking on the occasion, Sameer V Kamat, Secretary, Department of Defense Research and Development and Chairman, DRD, stressed the importance of infrastructure. In the development of a nation. He said India is witnessing unprecedented growth in the technological infrastructure sector, which is essential to maintain the country's strategic deterrence. DRDO Chairman said that technology is evolving rapidly, and the need for sustainable infrastructure and green infrastructure is now becoming a part of it. o Technical domain “This is the time to explore ways to incorporate the latest technologies into your technical infrastructure.We have made a good start, but work needs to be done to catch up with best practices,” he said.