Page 3 - External Affairs Defence Security News

Rajnath lays foundation for 5 expansion projects of GRSE, Yantra India

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 The news of closures and lockouts of factories in West Bengal has now been replaced by the launch of new projects," he said.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

IAF is not against theaterisation, says Air Chief Marshal AP Singh

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

China to be India's main long-term competitor, says ex-Army chief Naravane

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

Su-30MKI, T-90 parts among ₹3,000-cr defence items to be indigenised

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

Australian regional leader to visit India; trade, investment ties in focus

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 ...

Diplomatic premises inviolable: MEA condemns Embassy vandalism in Slovenia

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

Nepal PM Balen Shah meets Indian envoy, discusses 'historic' bilateral ties

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 .

Spain looks to replace its envoy to India over alleged financial dealings

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

'Honey-trapped' IAF officer held on charges of sharing defence information

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

India-Uzbekistan should look at doubling trade in next 3 yrs: Piyush Goyal

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 ...

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