Says “Military preparedness in the 21st century cannot be separated from technological, industrial preparedness”
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said that the recent conflicts across the world have transformed the character of warfare. He said that the battlefield is no longer confined to land, sea and air but has extended into space, cyberspace and the digital domain.
Addressing the third edition of the Delhi Defence Dialogue in New Delhi, Singh said that defence reforms, self-reliance, collaborations and exports together define the transformation the nation seeks in its defence ecosystem. He noted that India’s defence exports have increased to 38,424 crore rupees in 2025-26 from approximately 686 crore rupees in 2013-14. The Minister noted that this growth reflects the increasing acceptance of Indian defence products in international markets. He said that military preparedness in the 21st century cannot be separated from technological and industrial preparedness.
The Minister highlighted that over the past decade, India has made considerable progress in strengthening its domestic defence industrial base through reforms. He said that the government has established defence industrial corridors to expand domestic manufacturing capabilities. Mr Singh noted that the government is also encouraging greater participation of private industries in the development and manufacturing of advanced defence platforms and systems.
The Defence Minister also chaired the meeting of the Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Defence on ‘Modernisation of Indian Defence Forces’ in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan today.
Emphasising the need for the Defence Forces to remain prepared for present-day and emerging challenges Singh enumerated the steps taken by the Government across three key dimensions, Budget and Capital Acquisition and Self-reliance, Technology and Human Capital to equip the military to meet the evolving demands of technology-driven modern warfare. He highlighted the Government’s sustained focus on budgetary support and capital acquisition to meet the modernisation requirements, stressing that adequate financial resources, coupled with effective utilisation and prioritisation of critical needs of the Services, are essential to strengthening military capabilities.
Singh stated that the defence budget for the Financial Year 2026-27 was increased to a record 7.85 lakh crore rupees, including a capital outlay of 2.19 lakh crore rupees earmarked for modernisation and capital procurement. He said, it reflects the commitment to meet the operational requirements of the Defence Forces while bolstering domestic defence industries and manufacturing capabilities.
Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar, Secretary (Ex-servicemen Welfare) Sukriti Likhi, Secretary (Defence Finance) Vishvajit Sahay and other senior civil and military officials attended the meeting.
