Rajnath Singh: India seeks peace, but will safeguard strategic autonomy
New Delhi, Sep 27. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said India seeks peace and global stability but would not compromise its strategic autonomy or national security, asserting that peace should never be mistaken for weakness.
Addressing a Defence Conclave in New Delhi on September 27, Singh said India had no intention of occupying the territory of another country but would take necessary measures to protect its security when threatened.
“India believes in peace and does not seek to occupy the territory of any country. However, peace should not be mistaken for weakness,” Singh said, adding that India was committed to global stability while remaining firm on safeguarding its strategic autonomy.
The Defence Minister also ruled out dialogue with countries that promote terrorism against India, saying nations that use terrorism as an instrument of state policy or provide shelter and support to terrorists must be made to understand that terrorism cannot be a strategic asset.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks at the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting, Singh said India remained entitled to take all necessary measures against terrorism as long as a neighbouring country continued to support it.
National unity integral to security
Singh described national unity as a critical component of national security, stressing that safeguarding the country was not the responsibility of the armed forces alone but a collective duty of citizens.
He called for the country to rise above divisions based on religion, caste, creed, language and region and urged people to place national interest above narrow or individual interests.
Describing India as a civilisational power, Singh said the country’s rise was based on inclusive development rather than confrontation or disruption. He identified India’s democratic and civilisational traditions, the philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and the principle of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ as key foundations of its approach.
He also outlined five strategic pillars – respect, dialogue, prosperity, security and culture – which, he said, underpin India’s engagement with the world.
India as partner of Global South
Highlighting India’s expanding role in the Global South, Singh described the country as a trusted partner and “Vishwa Bandhu” (friend of the world).
He cited India’s Vaccine Maitri initiative, under which more than 30 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses were supplied to over 100 countries. India has also supported developing countries through medicines, digital payment technologies, expertise and resources, he said.
The Defence Minister highlighted the Voice of Global South Summits as another initiative aimed at providing developing countries a greater role in shaping the global agenda.
He called for responsible use of national power and greater international cooperation even amid strategic competition, with inclusive participation in global development.
Defence exports surge
Singh said India’s drive towards defence self-reliance had gathered momentum, with the country developing indigenous capabilities ranging from aircraft and drone engines to fifth- and sixth-generation fighter aircraft.
Defence exports have risen from ₹686 crore in 2013-14 to a record ₹38,424 crore in 2025-26, with Indian defence products now reaching more than 100 countries, he said.
After surpassing its ₹30,000-crore defence export target last year, India has set a new target of ₹50,000 crore by 2029.
Singh said growing overseas demand for Indian missiles, radars, ammunition and other defence platforms reflected increasing international confidence in India’s technology, quality and ability to deliver. As a result, he said, ‘Made in India’ was increasingly becoming a symbol of trust in Indian defence capabilities rather than merely a manufacturing label.
Greater focus on domestic industry
The Defence Minister said India’s defence allocation had increased to ₹7.85 lakh crore for 2026-27, from around ₹2.53 lakh crore in 2013-14.
Around 75 percent of the capital acquisition budget, amounting to ₹1.39 lakh crore, has been earmarked for procurement from domestic defence industry, he said, adding that the move would strengthen indigenous manufacturing as well as MSME supply chains.
Singh said the character of warfare was undergoing rapid change, with conflicts increasingly extending beyond traditional battlefields into cyber, space, electronic and information domains.
Artificial intelligence, drones, autonomous systems, quantum technology and hypersonic systems were also reshaping warfare, he said, underlining the need for India to develop future-ready capabilities across these areas.
He said the government was simultaneously working to reduce strategic vulnerabilities in technology, energy, data and supply chains by strengthening domestic semiconductor and critical-mineral capabilities, diversifying energy sources and enhancing energy security.
Push for indigenisation
Singh said the armed forces had issued five positive indigenisation lists covering 509 defence equipment, weapon systems and platforms.
The defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs), meanwhile, have issued six indigenisation lists covering 5,417 items, including strategically important line-replaceable units, subsystems, spares and components. Around 3,300 of these items have already been indigenised, he said.
The Defence Minister also highlighted the expanding role of private companies, startups and MSMEs in India’s defence manufacturing ecosystem.
The ecosystem now comprises DPSUs, private-sector companies, more than 16,000 MSMEs, startups, universities and research institutions, with defence manufacturing capabilities spreading across different parts of the country.
Investment proposals worth around ₹70,000 crore have been received in the Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridors, with about ₹10,000 crore already invested, Singh said.
He also pointed to the SRIJAN and SRIJAN DEEP portals as mechanisms to deepen indigenous defence supply chains. Around 33,000 imported items have been identified for import substitution through SRIJAN, of which approximately 15,700 have been indigenised.
SRIJAN DEEP, he said, has created a national digital database covering more than 40,000 manufacturers and sellers and lakhs of products.
DRDO to focus more on R&D
Singh said the corporatisation of the erstwhile Ordnance Factories had improved their technology orientation, output and accountability.
All 16 DPSUs are currently operating without losses and are increasing their focus on research, development and exports, he said.
The Defence Minister also highlighted the government’s efforts to involve startups and young innovators in defence technology through initiatives such as iDEX, iDEX-Prime and ADITI.
As of March 2026, 676 startups and innovators had been engaged through iDEX, with 551 contracts signed. Procurement worth more than ₹2,400 crore from startups and MSMEs has been approved, alongside development projects valued at more than ₹1,500 crore, he said.
In a significant move, Singh announced that technologies developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for conventional missile systems would be transferred to eligible Indian industries for production.
The move is intended to expand industrial participation in missile manufacturing, strengthen armed forces preparedness and facilitate timely delivery of missile systems, he said.
Singh said the initiative was also part of a broader effort to position DRDO primarily as a research and development organisation, while enabling industry to take on a larger role in production.
The Defence Minister said India’s long-term objective was to build indigenous capabilities across the entire defence spectrum, from individual components to complete weapon systems, while developing critical technologies domestically.
Such an approach, he said, would strengthen India’s strategic autonomy and defence preparedness while creating a resilient indigenous defence-industrial ecosystem.
