External Affairs Defence Security News

Navy to commission indigenous stealth frigate 'Mahendragiri' on July 11

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, .

Op Sindoor boosted trust in made-in-India defence platforms: Rajnath Singh

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

Govt clears ₹52K cr military purchase proposals for missiles, air defence

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

India-Japan summit a success; 75 yrs of ties to be celebrated in 2027: MEA

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 ...

Sitharaman invites French firms to partner in India's Viksit Bharat journey

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, ..

PM Modi holds bilateral talks with Japanese PM Takaichi at Hyderabad House

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

India, Malaysia discuss ways to deepen defence ties, cyber cooperation

India and Malaysia on Wednesday reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral military cooperation as part of a key meeting held here, during which the two sides also discussed opportunities for expanding collaboration in the fields of defence technology and cyber security. The 12th India-Malaysia Sub Committee Meeting on Military Cooperation (SCMC) was co-chaired by Joint Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Amitabh Prasad and Assistant Chief of Staff, Defence Operations & Training, Malaysian Armed Forces, Maj Gen Amer Mahmud Bin Abdul Rahman. "The two sides reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral military cooperation and expressed satisfaction with the steady progress achieved," the defence ministry said in a statement. The discussions covered ongoing defence engagements, including military-to-military exchanges, bilateral exercises, training, staff talks, capacity building, maritime cooperation, and cooperation in emerging domains. "Both sides acknowledged the successful conduct of ...

Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit takes charge as Vice Chief of Indian Air Force

Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, who served as the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff during Operation Sindoor, took charge as the new Vice Chief of the Air Staff on Wednesday, officials said. He succeeded Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor, who superannuated on June 30 after four decades of service in the Indian Air Force (IAF). Air Marshal Dixit was accorded a guard of honour at the Vayu Bhawan the headquarters of the IAF as he took charge as the new Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS). Prior to the ceremony, the air officer visited the National War Memorial and laid a wreath to pay homage to the fallen heroes of the armed forces. Before being appointed as VCAS, he was serving as the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (CISC) at the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) here. Air Marshal Dixit assumed the appointment of CISC on May 1, 2025, which he relinquished on June 30. The HQ IDS said in an X post on Tuesday, "His tenure at HQ IDS was defined by landmark contributions that reshap

PM Modi concludes 3-day visit to Seychelles with 'substantive outcomes'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday concluded his three-day visit to Seychelles, during which he held wide-ranging talks with President Patrick Herminie to boost bilateral ties and advance a common vision for a safe and prosperous Indian Ocean region. PM Modi was seen off at the airport by Seychelles' Vice-President Sebastien Pillay and members of the Indian diaspora. "My visit to Seychelles has been filled with substantive outcomes that will boost the India-Seychelles friendship," Modi said in a post on X after departure. Modi said the past 50 years of India-Seychelles ties have been marked by deep trust and shared progress. "The next fifty years will be defined by innovation, sustainability and shared prosperity." During the visit, which began on Saturday, Modi attended the golden jubilee celebrations of the National Day of Seychelles as the Guest of Honour. "I am happy to have joined the National Day celebrations and that too during the time when Seychelles marks 50 years of

Jaishankar holds key meetings in Mongolia to deepen strategic partnership

Jaishankar said he met the Speaker of the State Great Khural, Sandag Byambatsogt, and welcomed his support for India-Mongolia parliamentary exchanges and friendship

India to host key Brics security conclave amid rising geopolitical tensions

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Russian NSA Sergei Shoigu and other top BRICS security officials will converge in New Delhi on Monday for a two-day conclave that will focus on pressing geopolitical and regional security challenges. The conclave of BRICS National Security Advisers will be chaired by NSA Ajit Doval. China has already announced that Wang will attend the deliberations. The Chinese foreign minister is also expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Doval. It is learnt that Iranian Supreme National Security Council's Deputy Secretary Nezamipour is also expected to join the conclave that is set to prepare the grounds for the BRICS summit to be held in September in India. New Delhi is hosting the summit in its capacity as the current chair of the influential grouping. BRICS, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, with Indonesia joining in 2025. The BRICS has .

FY26 arms production hits record ₹1.78 trn; pvt sector share nears 25%

Despite setting a record production figure, FY26 broke the uninterrupted acceleration in annual defence production growth recorded between FY21 and FY25

PM Modi rebuilt India as 'bastion of security' in 12 years: Amit Shah

Home minister cites surgical strike, air strike, Operation Sindoor, Article 370 abrogation and Northeast accords as NDA marks 12 years in office

India's annual defence production surges to ₹1.78 trillion in 2025-26

India's annual defence production touched an all-time high of Rs 1.78 lakh crore in the financial year 2025-26, the defence ministry said on Wednesday. The milestone represents a 15.6 per cent growth over the previous fiscal year's output of Rs 1.54 lakh crore and a staggering 110 per cent increase since 2020-21 when the figure was Rs 84,643 crore, it said. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the "remarkable rise" in India's defence production in recent years is the result of the collective efforts of the Department of Defence Production and all other stakeholders. "This upward trajectory is a clear indicator of the country's expanding defence industrial base," he said. "With sustained policy support, several new initiatives, increased private sector participation, and growing export capabilities, the defence production sector is poised for continued acceleration in the years ahead," he said.

Goyal, Nice mayor discuss expanding India-France cooperation in innovation

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Nice's Mayor Eric Ciotti exchanged views on cooperation between India and France

Centre appoints Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth as next Chief of Army Staff

Vice Chief of the Army Staff will succeed Gen Upendra Dwivedi; Armoured Corps officer has commanded two operational Army Commands

India lodges strong protest after US strikes kill 3 sailors off Oman coast

India on Thursday said three merchant ships with Indian crew members came under attack from American military off the coast of Oman in the last four days, resulting in the death of three nationals, and it has lodged a strong protest with the US over the strikes. It was New Delhi's first public acknowledgement that the US Navy targeted the three ships with Indian crew members. New Delhi asserted that these attacks must stop. A Palau-flagged oil tanker, Marivex, carrying 24 Indian seafarers, was disabled by US forces on June 8. All crew members were safely rescued. On June 10, the US struck another Palau-flagged tanker, Settebello, killing three out of the 24 Indian sailors on board. Another vessel, Jalveer, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged tanker with 20 Indians, was attacked on Thursday. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a news briefing that the three separate strikes on Settebello, Marivex and Jalveer "came from the US Navy". In a social media post, the US Cen

Defence ministry signs ₹449 crore deal for 20 indigenous Navy GNSS jammers

The induction of the systems will support the safe operation of Indian Navy vessels in complex operational conditions

Defence, space-tech startups move beyond metros for testing, manufacturing

As defence and space-tech ventures move from design to deployment, many are expanding testing, manufacturing and training operations into smaller cities to access land, airspace and lower costs