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Go beyond traditional concepts of war & be ready to deal with unconventional threats: Defence Minister to Armed Forces at Combined Commanders’ Conference 2025
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“Need to ensure that our surge capacity remains sufficient amidst the unpredictability of duration of today’s wars”
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“Tri-service jointness essential to deal with emerging challenges”
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“Self-reliance is key to strategic autonomy, it fuels economic growth, generates employment & enhances capacity”
New Delhi. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has exhorted the Armed Forces to go beyond the traditional concepts of war and remain alert & ready to deal with invisible challenges emanating from unconventional threats such as information, ideological, ecological and biological warfare. Addressing the Combined Commanders’ Conference 2025 in Kolkata, West Bengal on September 16, 2025, Defence Minister emphasised the need for constant assessment of the changes taking place across the globe, and its impact on the security system of the country, in view of the turbulent global order, regional instability and the emerging security landscape.
Mr. Rajnath Singh asserted that the nature of warfare is continuously evolving, and the recent global conflicts have underlined the relevance of a “technology-friendly” military. “Wars of today are so sudden and unpredictable that it is extremely difficult to foretell its duration. It can be two months, a year, or even five years. We need to be prepared. We need to ensure that our surge capacity remains sufficient,” he added.
Terming India’s defence sector as an amalgamation of the offensive & defensive capabilities, Defence Minister called upon the Commanders to be proactive in their approach and strive to build the Sudarshan Chakra as envisioned by PM Modi. Stating that a committee has been formed to examine the project and prepare a “realistic action plan”, he suggested devising a medium-term plan for the next five years and a long-term plan for the next ten years to bring the vision to fruition.
Highlighting that the country’s defence sector is centered around modernisation, operational readiness, technological superiority and credible deterrence, Mr. Rajnath Singh called for focusing on the mantra of “JAI (Jointness, Aatmanirbharta and Innovation)” given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the inaugural session of the conference on September 15, 2025. He batted for deeper engagement with the industry and academia in developing future-ready technologies. He reaffirmed PM Modi’s vision to further enhance the role of the private sector in creating a robust defence innovation ecosystem and making the domestic industry the biggest & best in the world.
Defence Minister underscored the importance of jointness and synergy among the Armed Forces as well as with other agencies, in line with the whole of nation approach, terming it as “essential” to deal with future challenges. He mentioned about the creation of Tri-Service Logistics Nodes and Tri-Service Logistic Management Application to promote integration and jointness in the defence sector, while also highlighting the attention being paid to greater civil-military fusion.
“Operation Sindoor has demonstrated that Strength, Strategy and Self-reliance are the three pillars that will give India the power it needs in the 21st century. Today, we have the capability to face any challenge with the help of indigenous platforms and systems coupled with the indomitable courage of our soldiers. This is the real strength of Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” said Mr. Rajnath Singh, commending the Armed Forces for their “outstanding performance” and “exemplary professionalism” in the planning and execution of the operation.
Reiterating the Government’s commitment to Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Defence Minister stated that self-reliance is not a slogan, but a necessity, which is key to strategic autonomy. He emphasised that defence indigenisation under self-reliance is fueling economic growth, generating employment, and enhancing the capacity of shipyards, aerospace clusters and defence corridors. This is the multiplier effect of Aatmanirbharta in defence, he said.
Mr. Rajnath Singh also spoke about his approval to the Defence Procurement Manual 2025 which aims to streamline the procurement process. He added that the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020 is being revised and the objective is to simplify the processes, reduce delays, and provide operational strength to the forces quickly.
Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary (Defence Production) Mr. Sanjeev Kumar, Secretary (Ex-servicemen Welfare) Dr Niten Chandra, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat, Financial Advisor (Defence Services) Dr Mayank Sharma and other senior officers were present during the meeting.
