New Delhi, September 7: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said India’s armed forces have been provided both the freedom and resources to respond decisively to security threats, including the ability to strike adversaries inside their own territory when required.
Addressing an event in New Delhi, Singh said India believes in peace and does not seek war or the territory of another country, but made it clear that peace should not be mistaken for weakness.
He said India’s approach to countering terrorism has shifted from a reactive strategy to a more proactive one, with operations such as the Surgical Strikes, Balakot Airstrike and Operation Sindoor demonstrating India’s willingness to respond directly to terrorist attacks and their handlers.
“There is a clear distinction between peace and weakness,” Singh said, according to the Ministry of Defence. He added that if a country promotes terrorism against India, New Delhi would not pursue dialogue and the armed forces would deliver a “befitting response.”
‘Terrorism will be met with a befitting response’
The Defence Minister said adversaries had attempted to undermine India’s security through multiple means, including allegedly misleading young people in Jammu and Kashmir, funding anti-India activities, promoting violence and terrorism and attempting to create divisions within Indian society.
According to Singh, the government has attempted to counter these efforts through a combination of security operations and measures aimed at bringing misguided youth back into the mainstream.
He highlighted rehabilitation and de-radicalisation efforts, along with initiatives aimed at creating employment and business opportunities for young people.
Singh also said that Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed significant progress since the abrogation of Article 370, claiming that new avenues and opportunities have opened up for the region’s youth.
He linked the government’s counter-terrorism approach to what he described as decisive military action against terrorist organisations and their support networks.
Surgical Strikes, Balakot and Operation Sindoor cited
Singh specifically referred to the Surgical Strikes, Balakot Airstrike and Operation Sindoor as examples of India’s evolving counter-terrorism doctrine.
The Defence Minister said these operations demonstrated that terrorist attacks against India would no longer be met only through conventional diplomatic responses.
He also referred to India’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, describing it as a strategic message that “blood and water cannot flow together.”
The statement reflects the government’s broader position that security, diplomacy and strategic measures need to work together when responding to terrorism and threats to India’s national security.
India does not seek war, says Defence Minister
While adopting a firm position on terrorism, Singh reiterated that India does not seek conflict.
He said India believes in peace and does not want to occupy the territory of another country.
However, he stressed that peace cannot be built on fear or weakness.
The Defence Minister argued that India’s objective is to maintain peace through strength and credible deterrence.
His remarks come amid continuing geopolitical uncertainties and an evolving regional security environment, where India is seeking to strengthen its military capabilities while maintaining strategic autonomy.
Warfare rapidly changing
Singh also highlighted the transformation taking place in modern warfare.
According to him, the battlefield is no longer limited to traditional domains such as land, air and sea.
Space and cyberspace have emerged as increasingly important domains of military competition, while technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, drones, autonomous systems and precision weapons are changing the nature of warfare.
He said the government is working to make India’s defence and security architecture future-ready.
The objective, he said, is not simply to acquire advanced technology from abroad but to ensure that India becomes a country capable of developing advanced technologies indigenously.
Strategic autonomy amid geopolitical uncertainty
The Defence Minister said India’s foreign and defence policies are increasingly being shaped around the principle of strategic autonomy.
He pointed out that amid geopolitical uncertainty, several countries are being compelled to choose sides or align themselves with particular blocs.
India, he said, is instead pursuing an independent path based on its own national priorities.
“India is moving forward with independent agency and strategic autonomy by focusing on its own priorities,” Singh said, adding that this approach has strengthened India’s voice internationally.
He also highlighted India’s membership of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) in 2016.
According to Singh, India’s entry into the regime facilitated efforts to extend the range of the BrahMos missile, which he described as having played an important role during Operation Sindoor.
Defence production rises sharply
Singh also outlined the transformation of India’s defence manufacturing sector over the past decade.
He said India’s defence production, which stood at approximately â‚ą40,000 crore before 2014, has now increased to around â‚ą1.80 lakh crore.
Defence exports, according to the Defence Minister, have grown 56-fold to more than â‚ą38,000 crore.
The figures reflect the government’s emphasis on reducing India’s dependence on imported military equipment and developing a domestic defence-industrial ecosystem.
The government has increasingly promoted indigenous design, development and manufacturing through public-sector defence companies, private industry, MSMEs and start-ups.
Indigenous weapons systems highlighted
Singh pointed to several indigenous defence platforms that are now being used or developed by India’s armed forces.
These include:
- Akashteer air defence control system
- Akash air defence missile system
- Pinaka multiple rocket launcher
- Astra air-to-air missile
- Prachand light combat helicopter
- Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter
- Tejas fighter aircraft
- Arjun main battle tank
- Indigenous drone and counter-drone systems
- INS Vikrant, India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier
The Defence Minister said India is now producing a wide range of defence equipment domestically and is also pursuing the development of sixth-generation fighter aircraft.
He set a target of taking India’s defence exports to â‚ą50,000 crore by 2029.
All 16 DPSUs operating without losses
Singh also highlighted what he described as a turnaround in India’s defence public-sector manufacturing ecosystem.
According to him, all 16 Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) are currently operating without losses.
He said these organisations are increasing investments in research and development while also exploring new export opportunities.
The Defence Minister added that India’s defence budget has increased from approximately â‚ą2.5 lakh crore to around â‚ą8 lakh crore over the past 12 years.
He said the government is ensuring that defence spending is utilised with transparency and accountability to strengthen national security.
Private sector and MSMEs playing bigger role
The government is also seeking to broaden India’s defence manufacturing base beyond traditional public-sector companies.
Singh said more than 16,000 MSMEs are now involved in defence production.
He said investment proposals worth approximately â‚ą70,000 crore have been received for the Defence Industrial Corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, with nearly â‚ą10,000 crore already invested.
The Defence Industrial Corridors are intended to create clusters of defence manufacturing, research and technology development, bringing together large companies, MSMEs and specialised suppliers.
Defence start-ups cross 2,000
Singh also highlighted the growth of India’s defence start-up ecosystem.
According to the Defence Minister, the number of defence start-ups has increased from only a few dozen in 2018 to more than 2,000 today.
Government initiatives such as iDEX and iDEX-Prime have been designed to encourage innovation by start-ups, entrepreneurs and young technology developers.
Singh called upon India’s youth to become job creators and innovators, assuring promising innovators of continued support from the Ministry of Defence.
DRDO and private industry cooperation
The Defence Minister also praised the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for bringing together industry, academia, start-ups and scientists to accelerate indigenous defence technology.
He referred to the successful testing of a Scramjet Combustor in May, describing it as an important step towards the development of hypersonic missile technology.
Another significant policy shift highlighted by Singh is the transfer of DRDO-developed missile technologies to Indian industry.
Under this approach, private companies can manufacture technologies developed by government research establishments, potentially allowing military systems to reach production faster and strengthening India’s industrial base.
Defence and economic security linked
Singh stressed that national security and economic strength are closely connected.
According to him, a strong economy is essential for developing advanced military capabilities and maintaining strategic autonomy.
Despite global economic uncertainties, he said India is moving ahead with a 7.8% growth rate, while simultaneously strengthening supply chains, promoting self-reliance in critical sectors and expanding domestic manufacturing.
He cited the development of India’s semiconductor ecosystem and the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme as examples of efforts to build economic resilience.
The argument, he said, is straightforward: economic strength provides the foundation for sustained military modernisation.
India’s broader global role
Beyond defence, Singh also highlighted India’s growing international role.
He pointed to initiatives such as International Yoga Day, the revival of Nalanda University, the International Solar Alliance and the Global Biofuels Alliance as examples of India’s growing global influence.
He also referred to India’s efforts to strengthen the voice of developing countries through initiatives such as the Voice of Global South Summit and MAHASAGAR — Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions.
India’s role as a “First Responder” during crises affecting neighbouring countries was also highlighted.
Looking towards 2047
Singh said the government’s long-term objective is to achieve Aatmanirbharta in defence while creating an ecosystem that simultaneously strengthens national security, drives economic growth and enhances India’s position in the global security architecture.
The Defence Minister expressed confidence that by 2047, India would not only achieve the goal of Viksit Bharat but would also emerge as a global leader in technology, economy and defence.
The message from the Defence Minister’s address was therefore centred on two parallel objectives: deterrence abroad and self-reliance at home.
While the government wants India’s armed forces to have the freedom and resources to respond decisively to external threats, it is simultaneously seeking to ensure that the weapons, platforms and technologies required for those responses are increasingly designed and manufactured within India.
From Surgical Strikes and Operation Sindoor to Tejas, BrahMos, Akash, Pinaka and indigenous naval and aerospace systems, India’s defence strategy is increasingly being built around a combination of military preparedness, technological self-reliance and strategic autonomy.