Self-Reliance Key to Future Warfare: Rajnath Singh
Defence Minister calls for jointness, innovation and faster deployment to secure India’s strategic autonomy
- Rajnath Singh stresses self-reliance in defence sector
- Operation Sindoor hailed as example of New India’s military capability
- Defence exports rise to record Rs 38,424 crore
- AI warfare, hypersonic systems and quantum technologies discussed
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 14th May: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday asserted that self-reliance and jointness among defence forces, industries and innovators are essential for India’s strategic autonomy and future military preparedness.
Addressing the Kalam & Kavach 3.0 defence strategic dialogue through video message at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi, the Defence Minister said future battlefields would favour nations capable of rapidly converting ideas into operational deployment.
“A nation’s strength will increasingly depend on how quickly its defence forces, laboratories, and industries think and act as one,” Singh said while highlighting the importance of preparedness, resilience and innovation amid evolving global security threats.
The Defence Minister warned that national security can no longer rely on outdated assumptions due to ongoing geopolitical tensions, cyber threats, hybrid warfare and supply-chain vulnerabilities.
Emphasising self-reliance, Singh said excessive dependence on foreign defence systems makes a nation vulnerable during crises. He stressed the need to design, develop, maintain and upgrade critical defence systems within India’s own ecosystem to secure strategic autonomy.
Highlighting the importance of jointness, Singh said modern warfare demands coordination across land, sea, air, cyber and space domains along with close cooperation between laboratories, startups, industries and military institutions.
Speaking at the event, Sanjay Seth described Operation Sindoor as a defining example of New India’s military capability, citing indigenous systems, technological integration and seamless coordination among the armed forces.
Seth said the operation reflected India’s zero-tolerance policy against terrorism and reiterated the government’s focus on Jointness, Aatmanirbharta and Innovation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision.
He also highlighted the growth of India’s defence sector, noting that defence exports had increased from Rs 686 crore a decade ago to Rs 38,424 crore, while annual defence production touched Rs 1.54 lakh crore in FY 2025-26.
The conclave featured discussions on AI-enabled warfare, autonomous systems, hypersonic technologies, quantum-enabled C4ISR systems and defence manufacturing expansion. Senior officials, military officers, scientists, industry leaders and international delegates participated in the event.
