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Rajnath Singh
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is set to commission the indigenously built advanced stealth frigate Taragiri here on Friday, underscoring the strategic importance of India's eastern seaboard. The commissioning ceremony will be held in the presence of senior naval officials and other dignitaries at the naval dockyard here, an official source from Eastern Naval Command (ENS) said. "I shall be in Visakhapatnam to commission the advanced stealth frigate Taragiri...This commissioning highlights the strategic and maritime importance of India's eastern seaboard," said Singh in a post on X late on Thursday. He noted that the commissioning reflects the Indian Navy's sustained focus on strengthening combat readiness and operational might. As the fourth platform under Project 17A, Taragiri is a 6,670-tonne warship built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai, showcasing advanced design and engineering excellence. The warship features a sleeker structure with a significantly reduced rad
Pointing out that 95 per cent of the country's trade, including energy supplies, is conducted through sea, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday noted the Indian Navy's indispensable role in securing commercial shipping lanes and oil tankers against emerging maritime threats. Speaking at the commissioning ceremony of INS Taragiri here, the Defence Minister said the Indian Navy continuously maintains its presence in the Indian Ocean--whether it is the Persian Gulf or the Malacca Strait. Singh's comments assume significance following the disruption of oil supplies and blockage of oil tankers in view of the prevailing situation in West Asia. According to him, a strong and capable navy is not an option for the country, but a necessity. "There are many sensitive points in the sea where our Navy has continuously made its active presence to ensure the smooth supply of goods. Whenever there is a situation of tension there, the Indian Navy has ensured the security of our commercial ships
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that there is "no dearth of fuel or gas in the country" and India was ready to deal with any energy crisis resulting out of the West Asia conflict. Singh, speaking at a Sainik Samman Sammelan in poll-bound Kerala, said that Indian Navy ships were safely escorting the country's tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. The defence minister further said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was using his diplomatic skills to protect Indian interests in the Gulf region. "We are closely monitoring the state of affairs in West Asia and are prepared to deal with any situation," he said. Singh, during his speech, urged everyone to choose the BJP in the assembly polls as it was the correct political party to bring changes to the state, as it came with "Modiyude guarantees" (Modi's guarantees). "His leadership is like 24-carat gold -- it is tried and tested," he contended. The elections to the Kerala Assembly, which has 140 seats, will be held on Ap
India's annual defence exports touched an all time high of Rs 38,424 crore in the financial year 2025-26, marking an over 62 per cent growth over the previous fiscal, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday. The "big jump" in the defence exports reflected the growing "global trust" in India's indigenous defence capabilities, Singh said in a social media post, adding the country is "scripting an impressive defence exports success story." "India defence exports have touched a new all time high with a record Rs 38,424 crore in FY 2025-26. It marks a robust 62.66 per cent growth over the previous fiscal," the defence minister said. "This big jump of Rs 14,802 crore in defence exports reflects the growing global trust in India's indigenous capabilities and advanced manufacturing strength," he said. With DPSUs (defence public sector undertakings) contributing 54.84 per cent and private industry 45.16 per cent, this milestone showcases the power of a collaborative and self-relian
The ongoing war in West Asia is a matter of concern not only for India, but for the entire world and it must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday. India has clearly stated its position, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that war will not bring a solution, he said while speaking at an event in Uttarakhand's Haldwani. "The constant attacks in West Asia are a matter of concern not only for India but for the entire world," he said, adding: "If a solution is to be found, it will come through dialogue and diplomacy." "When the world is facing conflict, no country can remain unaffected. India may also be affected, but to date, our prime minister, through his ability and wisdom has kept India from falling into a difficult situation," Singh said in Hindi. The defence minister's remarks came against the backdrop of increasing global concerns over fresh attacks on West Asian gas hubs. An Israeli attack on Iran's strategic South P
India must develop a robust ecosystem for drone manufacturing, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday, highlighting lessons from the Russia-Ukraine and Iran-Israel conflicts. Addressing the National Defence Industries Conclave, Singh said the two conflicts demonstrated the significance of drones and counter-drone technologies. "As the entire world watches the ongoing conflict involving Russia and Ukraine, along with Iran-Israel, we can clearly see the extremely significant role of drones and counter-drone technologies in future warfare," he said. "Today, there is a need to build such a drone manufacturing ecosystem in India in which we are completely self-reliant," he said. The conclave was attended by top executives of leading domestic defence manufacturing firms as well as officials of defence public sector undertakings. "For India's defence preparedness and strategic autonomy, it is essential that India becomes fully self-reliant in drone manufacturing," Singh said. T
An ambitious vision document broadly outlining a series of strategic reforms, capability enhancements and organisational changes required to bolster the Indian military was unveiled by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday. The release of the document came eight months after the military conflict between India and Pakistan. Following the May 7 to 10 conflict, all three forces were asked to work on the lessons learnt from it. The 'Defence Forces Vision 2047: A Roadmap for a Future-Ready Indian Military' envisages the transformation of the military into an integrated, multi-domain and agile force capable of deterring adversaries and effectively responding to any conflict. A central pillar of the vision is the emphasis on jointness and synergy among the services, promoting greater coordination in planning, operations and capability development, according to the defence ministry.
In this era of changing geopolitics, oceans have once again come to the centre of the world's power balance and it is India's responsibility to provide leadership with confidence and capability, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday, referring to the escalating conflict in West Asia. The unfolding developments in West Asia are "highly unusual" and the situation in the region could adversely impact the global economy, he said addressing an event here. "What is happening in West Asia is highly unusual. It is difficult to make any firm comment at this stage on the direction in which conditions in West Asia might proceed going forward," he said. "If we look at the Strait of Hormuz or the entire Persian Gulf region, it is an extremely important area for the world's energy security. When there is disturbance or disruption in this region, it directly impacts the supply of oil and gas," he said. "Not only that, today we are witnessing supply chain disruptions not just in the energy
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has urged the international community to work collectively to address the increasingly complex and interconnected challenges in the maritime domain, guided by mutual respect and a spirit of cooperation. Addressing Navy Chiefs and Heads of Delegations from 74 countries during the inaugural ceremony of Exercise MILAN here on Thursday Singh asserted that traditional threats now coexist with emerging challenges such as piracy, maritime terrorism, illegal fishing, trafficking, cyber vulnerabilities, and disruptions to critical supply chains. He added that climate change is intensifying natural disasters, making humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations more frequent and demanding. "The role of navies in international peacemaking has only increased over time. There has been an exponential economic growth during the last few decades leading to massive increase in international trade and transport. There has also been a rise in contests for ...
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday called for expediting the development of next-generation aero engines, saying the country was running short of time. Noting that even developed nations typically take 25-30 years to develop next-generation engines, he urged Indian scientists to compress timelines in view of the nation's strategic needs. "We must assume that 20 years have already passed and we now have only 5-7 years left," Singh said, describing it as a call to action aligned with national aspirations. According to an official statement, the Union Minister visited Defence Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO) Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) in Bengaluru, and reviewed the status of ongoing projects relating to indigenous military gas turbine engine development. He was briefed on the establishment's projects on the anvil, interactions with the Indian Industry, academia and R&D institutes, and the support provided to the defence forces. He also visited the .
India's space missions like Chandrayaan and Aditya-L1 are not just technological achievements but a modern expression that ancient scientific spirit has always been a part of our cultural identity, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said here on Sunday. At the inauguration of the Maha Shivaratri celebrations organised at the Isha Yoga Center, headed by Sadhguru, here, he said Sun and the Moon are not just celestial bodies, but form the basis of our calendar and festivals. "Our fasts, festivals and auspicious timings are determined through precise scientific calculations. Today, missions like Chandrayaan and other space programmes are modern expressions of our ancient scientific heritage, where tradition and technology move forward together" he said. "When India launches missions like Chandrayaan (Moon mission), Mangalyaan (Mars) and Aditya-L1 (Sun), it is not just a technological achievement, it is also modern expression of that ancient spirit which has always been part of our cultural
India and Greece on Monday signed a Joint Declaration of Intent on strengthening defence industrial cooperation between the countries, which marks a starting point for developing a five-year roadmap for boosting the partnership. The agreement was inked after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held bilateral talks with Minister of National Defence of the Hellenic Republic, Nikolaos-Georgios Dendias, at the Manekshaw Centre here. Later in a post on X, Singh also welcomed the announcement from the Greek side that an International Liaison Officer from that country will be positioned at the Information Fusion Center-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), Gurugram, to enhance maritime cooperation between both seafaring nations. "Delighted to meet the Minister National Defence of the Hellenic Republic, Mr. Nikolaos-Georgios Dendias in New Delhi today. India and Greece signed the Joint Declaration of Intent on Strengthening the Bilateral Defence Industrial Cooperation and exchanged the Bilateral Milita
India and European Union on Tuesday explored ways to integrate their defence supply chains under a broader goal of deepening bilateral strategic ties. The issue figured prominently at a meeting Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held with European Union's chief of foreign and security affairs Kaja Kallas. "Discussed a range of bilateral security and defence issues including opportunities for integrating supply chains for building trusted defence ecosystems and future-ready capabilities," Singh said on X. "Looking forward to greater cooperation between India and the EU countries," he said. The meeting took place ahead of the India-EU summit talks.