Defence Minister

During Op Sindoor, we followed Lord Krishna's message: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said that during Operation Sindoor, India's action was guided by the message which Lord Krishna gave to the Pandavas that war should not be fought for revenge or ambition but for the establishment of righteous rule. "Lord Krishna also taught Arjun that a person who follows the path of righteousness is never afraid," said the defence minister after inaugurating the 10th International Gita conference in Kurukshetra, Haryana. Referring to the Pahalgam terror incident in April, Singh said the ghastly act still disturbs the national consciousness. The terrorists committed a dastardly and inhuman act when the innocent tourists were killed after they were asked about their religion, he said. "I believe that that incident was not only challenging the peace-loving nature of India; the terrorists and their patrons had assumed that India's decency was its weakness, but they forgot that India is the country of the Gita, where there is compassion and also

Rajnath Singh stresses collective security at Asean defence conclave

India believes Indo-Pacific should remain open, inclusive, and free from any form of coercion, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday against the backdrop of mounting global concerns over China's aggressive military posturing in the region. In an address at a conclave of defence ministers of ASEAN member states and the bloc's dialogue partners in Kuala Lumpur, Singh pitched for an approach of "collective security" to ensure the sovereignty of every nation in the region. The defence minister said India's emphasis on adherence to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and support for freedom of navigation and overflight is not against any country but to protect the interests of all regional stakeholders. His remarks came amid consistent demands by several ASEAN member states as well as democratic nations for adherence to UNCLOS in the face of Beijing's increasing military muscle flexing in the contested South China Sea. In his speech at the ASEAN Defence Ministers'

New crimes, terrorism, and ideological wars emerging in society: Rajnath

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said while there is instability on the borders, new types of crime, terrorism and ideological wars are emerging within society. Laying a wreath at the National Police Memorial here on the occasion of Police Commemoration Day, Singh also said that the military and police function on different platforms, but their mission is the same -- to protect the nation. To have a Viksit Bharat by 2047, the minister said, balancing the external and internal security of the nation is more important than ever. A joint parade of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Delhi Police was held as part of the event. On the present-day challenges, the defence minister said while there is instability on the borders, new types of crime, terrorism and ideological wars are emerging within society. Crime has become more organised, invisible and complex, and its purpose is to create chaos in society, undermine trust and challenge the stability of the nation, he ...

Our aim is to take domestic defence production to 100 per cent: Rajnath

India is looking at taking domestic defence production to 100 per cent as dependence on foreign military supplies creates "strategic vulnerability", Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday. Singh said this after inaugurating a third production line of Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-Mk1A and a second manufacturing facility of trainer jet HTT-40. With opening of the new facility for Tejas jets, the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) is expected to produce at least 24 LCA aircraft. "There was a time when the country was dependent on other countries to meet its defence needs, and almost 65-70 percent of defence equipment was imported," Singh said in his address "But today, this situation has changed; now India is doing 65 per cent manufacturing on its own soil," he said. "Very soon, we will take our domestic manufacturing to 100 per cent as well," he said. Singh said India's defence export has reached a record Rs 25,000 crore which was less than Rs 1,000 crore few years ago. "

India stands firm in upholding international rules-based order: Rajnath

The Union Minister said that thousands of Indians are committed to the idea of peacekeeping under the UN flag since it remains an article of faith and not merely an act of choice

Rajnath, Australian dy PM discuss boosting defence industry partnership

The leaders reviewed the full spectrum of India-Australia defence cooperation, including defence industry, cyber defence, maritime security and regional challenges

Rajnath calls for integrated, standardised system to counter info warfare

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stressed sustained dialogue to build a modern, capable, standardised system useful for all armed services

Armed forces must be prepared for longer conflicts, says Rajnath Singh

India's armed forces must be prepared for all kinds of security challenges including short-duration conflicts to even a five-year war in view of an unpredictable geopolitical environment, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday. In an address at the 'Ran Samvad' at the Army War College here, Singh said India does not want anyone's land, but it is ready to go to any extent to protect its territorial integrity. "In today's era, wars have become so sudden and unpredictable that it is very difficult to predict when any war will end and how long it will last," Singh said. The Indian military must be prepared for every situation, he said. "That is, if any war stretches for two months, four months, a year, two years, even five years, then we should be fully prepared for it," he said. Singh said national security is no longer a matter of the military, but has become an issue of a "whole-of-nation approach". "We do not want anyone's land, but we are ready to go to any extent to .

Turkish FM, defence minister to meet Pak PM, look to boost defence ties

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Defence Minister Yasir Guler are in Pakistan to hold talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on issues of mutual interest, including defence industry cooperation. The two arrived here on Wednesday on an official visit. Radio Pakistan reported that during their official engagements, important issues of mutual interest will be discussed. The visit reflects the close and brotherly ties between Pakistan and Turkiye, rooted in shared history, culture, and mutual trust, it reported. Sources said that among other engagements, the two would also hold talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on bilateral ties, regional issues, and defence industry cooperation. Turkiye has strong ties with Pakistan and expressed solidarity with it during the military conflict with India in May, which angered India but Istanbul has continued efforts to bolster ties with Islamabad.

Rajnath Singh, Hegseth discuss boosting Indo-US defence industry ties

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday spoke to US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and appreciated the "unwavering support" the US extended to India in its fight against terrorism. In their phone conversation, Singh and Hegseth discussed a wide range of issues -- from long-term cooperation in the defence sector, including training and military exchanges, to expanding industry collaborations. "Excellent discussion to review the ongoing and new initiatives to further deepen India-US defence partnership and strengthen cooperation in capacity building," Singh said in a social media post. "Conveyed my deep appreciation for the unwavering support extended by the US to India in its fight against terrorism. Looking forward to meet him at an early date," he said. The defence ministry said Singh and Hegseth agreed to further build upon the momentum of the "critical and mutually beneficial" partnership across all its pillars. "The two leaders discussed a wide canvas of issues ranging from

Rajnath Singh stresses border management to Chinese counterpart at SCO meet

Rajnath Singh tells China a structured and permanent engagement is key to resolving border issues, while also flagging the Pahalgam attack at the SCO defence ministers' meet

SCO meet | India hands China a 4-step plan to avoid disputes: What did the talks entail?

At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meet in Qingdao, India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met his Chinese counterpart and pitched a four-pronged formula to ease border tensions and stabilise

'One country didn't want terror reference': Jaishankar on SCO communique

Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that the main purpose of the SCO is to fight against terrorism, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was right not to accept the joint communique

Rajnath to focus on cooperation to counter terrorism at SCO meet in China

In line with India's diplomatic offensive against Pakistan-backed cross-border terrorism, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is set to press the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to ramp up efforts to contain terrorism at a two-day conclave of the bloc in China's Qingdao that begins on Wednesday. Singh is travelling to Qingdao, a port city in China's eastern Shandong province, for the conclave which is expected to extensively deliberate on the evolving regional security scenario. The defence minister's plan to call for greater regional cooperation to counter terrorism comes nearly a month-and-a-half after India carried out precision strikes on nine terror infrastructures in Pakistani territories in response to the horrific Pahalgam terror attack. It is the first visit to China by a senior Indian minister after the ties came under severe strain following the military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh that began in May 2020. NSA Ajit Doval is also ..

Panel formed to review Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020: Defence ministry

A committee led by the DG (Acquisition) will assess DAP 2020 to align defence procurement with national security, Atmanirbhar Bharat, and Make in India goals

India-Sri Lanka defence dialogue discusses enhancing maritime security

India and Sri Lanka explored ways to further expand their bilateral defence cooperation, especially in areas of maritime security, the island nation's defence ministry said. The deliberations took place at the Sri Lanka-India Defence Dialogue held in Colombo on Thursday. It was the first high-level meeting after India and Sri Lanka signed the first ever defence partnership on April 5. A statement from the Defence Ministry said that the Sri Lankan delegation was led by Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd), while the visiting Indian Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh led the Indian delegation. The high-level dialogue focused on strengthening bilateral defence cooperation, enhancing maritime security, and exploring new avenues for collaboration in training and strategic engagement, the statement said. Senior officials from both sides participated in the discussions, reaffirming the longstanding defence partnership between Sri Lanka and India, it said. The

India to build two-seater electric trainer aircraft: Jitendra Singh

Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said the aircraft is being designed and developed indigenously by CSIR-NAL and will cost nearly half of imported versions

Rajnath Singh approves execution of indigenous fighter jet programme

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the "execution model" to implement a mega project to indigenously develop a fifth generation deep penetration advanced medium combat aircraft for the Indian Air force India has been working on the ambitious AMCA project to develop the medium weight deep penetration fighter jet with advanced stealth features to bolster its air power capability. The defence ministry said on Tuesday that Singh has approved the "Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) Programme Execution Model." "In a significant push towards enhancing India's indigenous defence capabilities and fostering a robust domestic aerospace industrial ecosystem, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) Programme Execution Model," it said. The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) is set to execute the programme through Industry partnership. The defence ministry said the "Execution Model" approach provides equal opportunities to both priva

PM Modi chairs high-level meet with defence brass amid Pak conflict

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday chaired a high-level meeting with the top defence establishment to take stock of the emerging security situation amid the intensifying military conflict with Pakistan. Modi met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, the three service chiefs and Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan to review the security scenario and chalk out strategies for the future course of action, officials said. The conflict with Pakistan has intensified with the armed forces responding proportionately and adequately to Pakistani attempts to target Indian installations. Pakistan's military is moving its troops in the forward areas, India said on Saturday, as the two countries continued to attack each other's military facilities. "The Pakistan military is observed to be moving their troops to the border areas," Colonel Sofiya Qureshi said at a press briefing along with Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.

'Targeted those who killed innocents': Rajnath Singh on Operation Sindoor

Speaking at an event in New Delhi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commended Indian armed forces for carrying out precision strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir