New Delhi, Sep 3 (NVI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday unveiled ‘RAKSHA’, a comprehensive defence diplomacy document outlining India’s strategic roadmap and vision for global defence partnerships over the next decade.
The document seeks to align India’s national security objectives with proactive international cooperation and long-term partnerships aimed at promoting stability, mutual growth and a rules-based global order.
The strategic framework identifies key areas including deepening bilateral and multilateral security partnerships, enhancing joint military exercises and training programmes, and sharing best practices with friendly countries.
It also lays emphasis on promoting indigenous defence platforms and equipment under the ‘Make in India’ initiative, with the objective of establishing India as a reliable global defence manufacturing and export hub.
Maritime security has been identified as another key pillar, with the document underlining India’s role as a net security provider and first responder in the Indian Ocean Region.
Defence diplomacy remains a core component of India’s foreign policy and the document provides an actionable vision for strengthening the country’s engagement with partner nations over the next 10 years, officials said.
Chief of Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs Rudrendra Tandon, Vice Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar and Chief of Integrated Defence Staff Air Marshal Tejinder Singh were among those present at the event.
Senior officials from the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of External Affairs and National Security Council Secretariat also attended the programme.—(NVI)
