New Delhi, Oct 15 (NVI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said any future terrorist attack originating from Pakistan would invite an even stronger response from India, asserting that the country’s commitment to peace should not be mistaken for weakness.
Addressing a Defence Conclave in New Delhi, Singh said Operation Sindoor, the Balakot airstrikes and the surgical strikes reflected a decisive shift in India’s approach to counterterrorism, moving from diplomatic condemnation to proactive military action aimed at eliminating terror threats at their source.
“Any terror act originating from Pakistan would invite an even stronger response,” he asserted, reiterating the government’s firm stand against cross-border terrorism.
The Defence Minister said India believed in dialogue, coexistence and peaceful resolution of disputes but remained fully prepared to protect its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national interests.
“Our commitment to peace remains steadfast, yet we are fully prepared to confront any challenge,” he said, adding that strength and military capability were essential to maintaining peace and safeguarding national security.
Singh said India hoped for peace but could not afford to remain unprepared for situations in which the use of force became necessary to defend the country.
He also claimed that since 2014, the “shelf life” of most terrorists had fallen to less than a year, with security forces neutralising them within a year of their taking up arms against India.
Highlighting the changing nature of security threats, Singh called for heightened vigilance against emerging forms of terrorism, including “white-collar terrorism” and lone-wolf attacks, which he said posed fresh challenges for intelligence and security agencies.
He said terrorism was no longer confined to organised groups and was evolving in ways that made it increasingly difficult to identify radicalised individuals and prevent potential attacks.
The Defence Minister identified what he described as the “5D Security Threat” — disinformation, destabilisation, disruption, deception and destruction — warning that the digital age had added new dimensions to the country’s security challenges.
Referring to an incident involving a co-pilot who allegedly attempted to crash a passenger aircraft, Singh highlighted the importance of individual alertness and timely intervention in preventing major security threats. He also referred to Captain Smit Machhar, who risked his life to avert what he described as a major terror attack.
He said the incident demonstrated how the courage and vigilance of an individual could foil a potentially devastating plot.
“The fight against terrorism requires not only the capabilities of security agencies but also the active participation of aware and responsible citizens,” Singh said, stressing the need for public awareness and collective vigilance.
On military preparedness, Singh called for a shift towards a “smart power” approach, combining conventional military strength with advanced technologies, artificial intelligence and cost-effective defence systems.
He said modern warfare required the integration of precision-guided weapons and loitering munitions with affordable weaponry, human intelligence with artificial intelligence, and sophisticated defence systems with agile and adaptable technologies.
Singh attributed India’s growing defence capabilities to reforms, changes in operational methods and a shift in the country’s strategic outlook under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He said the government had moved beyond meeting immediate military requirements towards building a self-reliant and future-ready defence ecosystem.
According to the Defence Minister, reforms in licensing regulations and measures to improve the ease of doing business had expanded India’s defence manufacturing base, with more than 500 companies now operating in the sector and hundreds of new industrial licences issued.
On defence procurement, Singh said priority was being given to domestic manufacturers through initiatives such as the Defence Acquisition Procedure and the “Buy Indian-Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured” category.
He said 75 per cent of the modernisation budget had been earmarked for procurement from Indian industries, strengthening the role of domestic manufacturers in meeting the requirements of the armed forces.
Singh said India was gradually moving from a “whole-of-government approach” to a “whole-of-country approach” and, ultimately, a “whole-of-the-people approach”, with start-ups, micro, small and medium enterprises, individual innovators and major corporations contributing to national defence.
Describing Operation Sindoor as a demonstration of India’s growing technological capabilities, he said the operation reflected the armed forces’ confidence in advanced indigenous systems, including the Akash missile system and BrahMos, alongside other modern military equipment.
He said the armed forces had issued five positive indigenisation lists covering 509 items, including defence equipment, weapon systems and platforms, while a sixth list was being prepared for release. Defence Public Sector Undertakings had identified 5,012 items for indigenisation, of which 3,255 had been indigenised, he added.
Highlighting the expansion of the defence industry, Singh said India’s defence production had reached a record level of more than Rs 1.78 lakh crore, compared with around Rs 40,000 crore in 2014.
Defence exports, he said, had also risen to an all-time high of Rs 39,000 crore from Rs 686 crore in 2013-14, with Indian defence products reaching nearly 100 countries.
He expressed confidence that India would achieve its defence production target of Rs 2 lakh crore in the current year and Rs 3 lakh crore by 2029, while defence exports would reach Rs 50,000 crore by 2029.
Singh credited streamlined export procedures, online approvals, the Defence EXIM Portal, the Open General Export License and other policy measures with improving the competitiveness of Indian defence manufacturers in international markets.
Emphasising the role of innovation in achieving self-reliance, he said the government had created opportunities for start-ups, MSMEs and young innovators through initiatives such as Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), iDEX Prime and the ADITI scheme.
The Defence Minister said the Ministry of Defence had approved procurement of goods and services worth more than Rs 2,400 crore from start-ups and MSMEs and sanctioned projects exceeding Rs 1,500 crore for developing new technologies.
As of March 2026, iDEX had engaged 676 start-ups and innovators and facilitated the signing of 551 contracts, he said, adding that India’s defence start-up ecosystem had grown from a few dozen enterprises in 2018 to more than 2,000.
Young enterprises were working across emerging fields, including drones, artificial intelligence, quantum technology, cybersecurity and robotics, he added.
Singh said defence manufacturing was no longer restricted to the public sector, with defence public sector undertakings, private companies, more than 16,000 MSMEs, supply units and innovation centres contributing to the country’s defence industrial ecosystem.
He also said the corporatisation of the erstwhile Ordnance Factory Board had helped transform its entities into profitable enterprises.
Referring to progress in ammunition manufacturing, Singh said 159 of the 175 ammunition variants used by the armed forces were now being produced domestically, reflecting significant progress towards self-reliance.
He also highlighted India’s exports of bulletproof jackets to more than 100 countries and said the country was the fourth in the world to establish a national standard for bulletproof jackets aligned with international norms.
The Defence Minister cited the implementation of the One Rank One Pension scheme and the creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff as important measures to strengthen the country’s defence framework.
Singh concluded by expressing confidence that India would emerge as a developed nation by the centenary of its Independence and provide global leadership in technology, the economy and defence.—(NVI)
