Armed forces have freedom, resources to strike adversaries: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said India's armed forces have the freedom and resources to respond decisively to threats, including striking adversaries within their territory. He stressed strategic autonomy, indigenous defence production and a proactive security approach amid evolving warfare and geopolitical uncertainties

New Delhi: Indian armed forces have been given “freedom and resources” to respond decisively to threats, including striking adversaries inside their own territory, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday. In his address at an event here, he reiterated that India believes in peace and it does not desire war or seek to occupy the territory of any nation.

However, there is a clear distinction between peace and weakness, the minister underlined. “Peace born of the fear of war is to be condemned, while war fought for the sake of peace is worthy of reverence. We’ve made it clear that if any country promotes terrorism against India, there will be no dialogue; instead, our defence forces will deliver a befitting response,” he said.

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Singh said the defence forces have been handed “both freedom and resources to respond decisively to threats, including striking adversaries inside their own territory”. In his address, the defence minister asserted that India is moving forward with independent agency and strategic autonomy amid geopolitical uncertainties.

Singh said efforts were made by the adversary to “undermine India’s security by all ill means, including misleading the youth in Jammu & Kashmir, funding anti-India activities, spreading violence and terrorism, and attempting to create divisions within society”.

He asserted that the government has foiled these nefarious designs and responded on all fronts by bringing misguided youth back into the mainstream, undertaking rehabilitation and de-radicalisation efforts, and creating employment and business opportunities. The minister added that Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed unprecedented progress since the abrogation of Article 370, as new avenues and opportunities have been opened up for the youth.

He emphasised that India adopted the strategy of eliminating terrorism through decisive military action such as surgical strikes, the Balakot airstrike and Operation Sindoor, which targeted terrorists and their handlers.

“The suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty sent a clear message that blood and water cannot flow together”, he said. Singh also pointed out that attempts by the adversaries to “sow discord” among Indians have also been successfully thwarted. Referring to the attacks that targeted places of worship during Operation Sindoor, he said people of India rejected such conspiracies and demonstrated unity and social harmony.

On the rapidly evolving nature of warfare, Singh said space and cyberspace, alongside land, air and sea, have emerged as new domains of conflict, with technologies such as artificial intelligence, drones, autonomous systems and precision weapons “transforming the battlefield”.

The government is focussing on making its defence strategy and security apparatus “future-ready”, he said, adding the objective is to make India a nation that develops advanced technologies indigenously. India’s defence policy has moved “beyond reactive to being pro-active”, he said, adding it was due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s diplomacy and leadership that India became a member of the Missile Technology Control Regime in 2016, which facilitated efforts to extend the range of the BrahMos missile, which proved pivotal during Operation Sindoor.

On the transformation of the defence sector, Singh stressed that the government has worked towards enhancing border security, modernising the defence forces, boosting indigenous production and revamping ordnance factories.

“These efforts have made the nation self-reliant and self-confident in defence,” he said, underlining that defence production, which stood at around Rs 40,000 crore before 2014, has risen to approximately Rs 1.80 lakh crore, with defence exports growing 56-fold to over Rs 38,000 crore. Singh emphasised that India has moved from an import-dependent approach to one focused on indigenous defence manufacturing and Aatmanirbharta.

“Today, our defence forces possess the indigenous Air Defence Control System ‘Akashteer’ and the next-generation air defence missile ‘Akash’. We have the Pinaka Rocket Launcher, the air-to-air missile ‘Astra’, indigenous helicopters like ‘Prachand’ and ‘Dhruv’, the ‘Tejas’ fighter aircraft, the ‘Arjun’ tank, and modern drone and counter-drone systems.

“Furthermore, India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, has been inducted into the Indian Navy. We’re now producing a wide range of defence equipment while pursuing the development of sixth-generation fighter aircraft. Our aim is to export defence equipment worth Rs 50,000 crore by 2029,” he said.

Singh underlined that the government’s objective is to achieve Aatmanirbharta in defence and create an ecosystem that strengthens national security, drives economic growth and enhances the country’s role in the global security architecture. He exuded confidence that by 2047, India will not only achieve the goal of becoming a Viksit Bharat, but also provide leadership to the world in technology, economy and defence.