External Affairs Defence Security News

A medium-range, man-portable, shoulder-launched missile, the Javelin is designed to engage tanks, other armoured systems and bunkers

Ajit Doval and Wang Yi also agreed to add military meeting points and hotlines, improve border management and maintain communication on hydrological data-sharing issues

This development highlights India's long-delayed naval projects and its spending patterns on naval fleets and infrastructure.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday virtually laid the foundation stone for five brownfield expansion projects of the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, and Yantra India Ltd, from Kolkata. Singh was accompanied by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari during the foundation laying ceremony here. The projects comprise three facilities of GRSE and two of Yantra India. Speaking on the occasion, Singh said foundation was laid for five projects worth nearly Rs 3,500 crore in West Bengal. "The state will take steps to usher in a new renaissance of development. The news of closures and lockouts of factories in West Bengal has now been replaced by the launch of new projects," he said. As part of its capacity expansion, GRSE has signed lease agreements with the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMPK) for two small shipyards on either bank of the Hooghly, along with a 32-acre riverside property at Raichak, to enhance its capabilities in warship construction and refit, a

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is not against theaterisation and it is insisting on having an objective approach for any new initiative that should ensure minimal disruption to the existing structures, Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal A P Singh said on Saturday. In an address at an event in Kanpur, the Air Chief Marshal called for not "shaking up" the existing system and batted for looking internally to further enhance India's military prowess rather than copying anything from another country. The government had announced the theaterisation plan in 2019 to ensure greater synergy among the three services. However, no visible forward movement has been made towards it. Under the theaterisation model, the government seeks to integrate the capabilities of the army, air force and navy and optimally utilise their resources for wars and operations. "I can assure my own people here that the Air Force is not against theaterisation the way the media puts it," he said. "What the Air Force ha

India's attention towards Pakistan was driven largely by the continuing threat of terrorism, but China is going to be New Delhi's main competitor across multiple domains in the long-term, asserted former Army chief General Manoj Naravane on Thursday. While refraining from using the term "enemy" in context of China, he stressed the need for a strong military deterrence while resolving long-standing differences with Beijing through dialogue. Speaking about security challenges New Delhi faces from its neighbours, Naravane noted Pakistan and China were in a different category though India had fought wars with both countries and had unsettled borders with them. He was speaking at the launch of his new book 'The Curious and the Classified: Unearthing Military Myths and Mysteries', published by Rupa Publications. "Pakistan and China are a totally different ballgame. We have fought wars with both of them. We have unsettled borders. So they will always remain on our radar as a threat, as a

MoD's sixth Positive Indigenisation List bars import of 405 'strategically important items' from a specified date

Australian regional leader Chris Minns will lead an official delegation to India later this month seeking to strengthen his state's economic, education and cultural ties with one of its key international partners, according to an official statement on Sunday. New South Wales Premier Minns will undertake an official visit to New Delhi and Mumbai from August 31 to September 3, his office said. New South Wales (NSW) is Australia's most populous state and is home to Sydney, the country's largest city and a major financial, business and education hub. In 2024-25, NSW and India traded goods worth AUD 6.87 billion (USD 4.86 billion), making India one of the state's "most important trading partners", the statement said. "I'm proud that my first overseas visit as Premier will be to India. It reflects the importance of the relationship and the enormous contribution the Indian community makes to NSW," Minns said. The visit was announced by Minns at an event in Sydney marking India's 80th ...

The diplomatic friction comes shortly after high-level bilateral engagements between the two nations

Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah on Monday held his first one-on-one meeting with Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava and emphasised the need to deepen the country's "historic relationship" with India. Shah met Srivastava at the Prime Minister's Office in Singha Durbar. The meeting covered Nepal-India bilateral relations, mutual interests, development partnership and areas of cooperation, according to the prime minister's secretariat. Srivastava congratulated Shah and expressed his commitment to further strengthening relations and cooperation between the two countries. "Honoured to call on Rt. Hon. Prime Minister of Nepal (@ShahBalen) this morning. Conveyed warm greetings from Prime Minister Modi ji (@narendramodi). Had an engaging and productive exchange of views on further deepening robust, multifaceted India-Nepal partnership," Ambassador Srivastava posted on X. Shah emphasised the need to deepen Nepal's "historic relationship" with India and work together in areas of shared .

The move follows allegations that the envoy sought financial support from Indian visa processing firm and used Embassy funds to promote cultural events in India

A wing commander of the Indian Air Force allegedly passed defence information to a woman suspected to be a Pakistan intelligence operative

India and Uzbekistan should look at doubling bilateral trade in the next three years as huge opportunities are there in enhancing cooperation in areas like mining, pharma, and healthcare, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Monday. The two-way commerce stood around USD 1.5 billion. Trade will have to lead from the front to boost economic ties between the two countries, he said, adding, "let's look to double trade in next three years". He was speaking at the India-Uzbekistan Business Forum meeting here. Goyal also called upon businesses of both sides to invest in each other's economies. He added that while India is strong in areas like IT, skilled work force, digital public infrastructure, Uzbekistan offers opportunities in segments such as mining and cotton production. If the two countries can look at negotiating a free trade agreement, he said, "That is a promising idea. We can look at that." Speaking at the function, Laziz Kudratov, Uzbekistan's Minister of ...

Indigenous stealth frigate 'Mahendragiri', endowed with state-of-the-art weapons, including surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missile systems, and a cutting-edge sensor suite, is set to be commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 11, officials said on Monday. Designed by the Navy's Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and built by MDL Mumbai, 'Mahendragiri' "is capable of undertaking anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine operations, and is equally suited for maritime security, power projection, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), search and rescue, and sustained presence missions, a Navy spokesperson said. "The frigate is equipped with an advanced suite of indigenous and state-of-the-art weapons and sensors, including surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missile systems, sophisticated electronic warfare capabilities, comprehensive anti-submarine warfare systems and an integrated combat management system," the official said. Incorporating advanced stealth features, .

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said that after Operation Sindoor, the trust in "made-in-India" defence platforms has received a boost. In his address at an event here, he also reiterated that "today, our defence production has reached over Rs 1.78 lakh crore, and about 8-9 years ago, it stood at approximately Rs 46,000 crore". The Union minister asserted that after Operation Sindoor, "trust in made-in-India defence platforms has got enhanced". Operation Sindoor was India's decisive military action conducted in May 2025 in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. Several defence platforms built in India had played a key role in it. Singh said, "Defence exports too have reached a record over Rs 38,000 crore, and in 2013-14, it stood at just Rs 686 crore, and it has grown today 57 times. And, I have not sought the full report, but, currently it should be hovering around Rs 40,000 crore, is my estimate." In his address, he also spoke of India's journey in various sectors i

The ministry said these platforms would support persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations, while also enabling telecommunications and remote sensing functions

As Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi concluded her official visit to India on Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs said it reaffirmed the commitment of the two sides to nurture a partnership pivotal to the shared growth and prosperity of both countries. The India-Japan partnership is also an anchor for promoting peace, prosperity and stability in the Indo-Pacific and beyond, the MEA said, and asserted that the 16th India-Japan annual summit here was "highly successful". "A memorable visit concludes, advancing India-Japan partnership towards shared horizons. PM @takaichi_sanae of Japan departs from India following the highly successful 16th India-Japan Annual Summit. She was seen off by Minister of State @DrJitendraSingh," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X. He also shared some photos of the send-off in Delhi. Takaichi visited the country at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, from July 1 to 3 for the 16th India-Japan annual ...

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman invited French businesses and investors to partner with India in its journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047, emphasising the need to strengthen the India-France Strategic Partnership and work towards shared prosperity for both countries. Addressing an India-France Business Roundtable in Paris on Thursday, she urged French investors to explore partnerships in healthcare, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology by leveraging the two countries' complementary strengths in life sciences, vaccines, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), clinical research, precision medicine and digital health to build resilient healthcare value chains. The minister also highlighted India's clean energy transition, including the target of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030, the National Green Hydrogen Mission and Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes, saying these initiatives offer significant investment opportunities in renewable energy, green hydrogen, ..

Following the talks, the two sides are expected to unveil a joint declaration on economic security cooperation and a joint statement on cooperation in artificial intelligence