India, Sept. 18 -- India spends just 1% of its GDP on research and development (R&D), significantly lower than China's 2.6%, which translates to $496 billion annually, retired Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhary said on Wednesday. He warned that such limited investment hampers India's ambition for strategic autonomy, especially in the defence sector.

Chaudhary was speaking at the launch of the 'Vikasit Bharat Sanvad' lecture series, organised by the Union Ministry of Higher and Technical Education. The event was inaugurated by Minister Chandrakant Patil and attended by senior officials, educators, and students across Maharashtra.

Delivering the opening lecture on 'Self-Reliance in the Defence Sector', Chaudhary stressed the risks of o...