IFS Officer Trainees call on Defence Minister in New Delhi

New Delhi. The Trainee Officers of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) – 2025 Batch called on Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at South Block, New Delhi on February 25, 2026. Addressing the officers, Defence Minister voiced the Government of India’s determination for expanding the capacity of indigenous defence industry for both local production and exports under ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, and the crucial role played by Indian diplomats in realising the vision. Enumerating the steps taken by the Government towards absorption of niche technologies in the defence sector, he stated that India has traversed a long distance from being a major importer of defence equipment to a manufacturer and exporter of platforms in all domains.

Rajnath Singh highlighted that the global comity of nations is closely following India’s growth story and looking up to its leadership role. He encouraged the officers to work with honesty and integrity to further India’s positive image. He told them that, while conducting their duties abroad, they should always remember that they represent the aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians. He urged them to remain open to new ideas, people, and perspectives from every culture and carry with them the values of India’s civilisational wisdom. He congratulated them for putting in hard work to join the coveted IFS.

Before the interaction, the trainee-officers were briefed on various defence diplomacy initiatives, defence budget, Tri-service integration and defence acquisition by officials from verticals of the Ministry of Defence. The batch comprised 55 Trainee officers with 53 Indian Trainees and 02 trainees from Bhutan.