Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats have emerged as a critical and evolving challenge for modern economies like India amid rapid industrialisation, technological advancement and growing geopolitical uncertainty, experts said at a PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry conference.
Experts cautioned that emerging risks linked to terrorism, cyber-enabled disruptions, industrial accidents, illicit trafficking of hazardous materials and the misuse of dual-use technologies were increasing pressure on governments and industries to strengthen preparedness, response systems and coordination mechanisms across sectors.
Roli Singh, Chairperson of the National Authority Chemical Weapons Convention (NACWC), said such threats were no longer theoretical concerns as risks from terrorism, non-state actors, cyber-enabled disruptions, illicit trafficking of chemicals and misuse of dual-use technologies continue to rise.
She stressed the need for stronger preparedness, integrated risk management and deeper collaboration among government, industry, academia, emergency responders and security agencies.
According to Singh, advances in biotechnology, synthetic biology, digitisation and interconnected supply chains have simultaneously expanded opportunities and vulnerabilities, particularly in biosecurity and cyber-physical infrastructure protection.
Reaffirming India’s commitment to responsible chemistry and compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention, she said balanced and science-driven regulatory systems were necessary to support innovation while ensuring safety and security.
Singh also emphasised that preparedness should move beyond regulations to include real-time response systems, district-level disaster integration, training of first responders, medical preparedness and closer industry-government coordination.
“Preparedness, partnership and prevention” supported by responsible innovation, are central to building a resilient CBRN ecosystem in India, she said.
Upendra Kumar Singh, Distinguished Scientist and Director General-Soldier Support Systems at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), said rapidly shifting geopolitical dynamics and weakening international institutions had increased the complexity of unconventional warfare and multidimensional CBRN threats.
He noted that modern conflicts now extend beyond military power into economic, technological, biological and cultural domains, making preparedness a national priority involving public health, environmental safety, industrial resilience and disaster management.
Referring to incidents such as the Chornobyl disaster, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster and the COVID-19 pandemic, Singh underlined the importance of indigenous capability development and coordinated action between government agencies, industry, academia and healthcare institutions.
He said DRDO was advancing indigenous research in early warning systems, detection technologies, protective equipment, medical countermeasures, AI-based sensor networks and field-deployable CBRN solutions suited to Indian environmental conditions.
Calling for greater industry participation, Singh urged Indian companies and research institutions to work closely with DRDO to bridge capability gaps and strengthen national resilience against future threats.
KV Kuber, Director-Aerospace and Defence at Ernst & Young, warned that rising geopolitical tensions and collapsing arms control mechanisms had increased the risks of escalation, miscalculation and deterrence breakdown.
Drawing parallels between the Mahabharata and contemporary geopolitical realities, he said the danger of tactical nuclear use was higher than at any time since the Cold War despite the relatively low probability of a full-scale nuclear war.
He added that modern warfare increasingly required institutional restraint, rapid response capability and calibrated escalation management to preserve global stability.
Nilesh Parulekar of Larsen & Toubro stressed the need for collaboration among Indian industries to develop globally competitive defence and electronics products rather than operating in isolation.
Meanwhile, Raghavendra Rao said CBRN threats increasingly included industrial accidents, toxic chemical releases and asymmetric warfare, adding that response times in chemical and biological incidents were measured in seconds rather than hours.
Welcoming delegates, Ranjeet Mehta said modern warfare was no longer confined to borders and conventional weapons, as even a single chemical, biological or radiological attack could severely disrupt economies, healthcare systems and critical infrastructure.
Experts called for stronger industry-government collaboration, harmonisation of Indian testing standards with global benchmarks and greater integration of research, innovation and commercial deployment to strengthen India’s long-term CBRN preparedness framework. |
