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PUNE: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday emphasised the need for the Armed Forces to transform into a modern warfare machine, citing the increasing use of unconventional methods in today’s warfare — dynamic geopolitical world order and the constantly-changing character of warfare.
He highlighted that conflicts and wars will become more violent and unpredictable, with the emergence of non-state actors and terrorism being major concerns.
Addressing senior Army officials and other personnel at ‘Gaurav Gatha’, an event organised in Pune as part of the 77th Army Day celebrations, he said, “”Conflicts and wars will become more violent and unpredictable. The emergence of non-state actors in many countries and their resorting to terrorism is also a matter of concern. Due to the rapid technological advancements, future wars witness a change to a great extent. Cyber and space domains are rapidly emerging as new war zones. Along with this, a war of narrative as well as perception is also being fought all over the world. The military must focus on holistic capacity building and reforms.”
Singh stressed the importance of a robust security system, strong military, and secure borders to achieve Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047. He noted that the Ministry of Defence is working to bolster the strength of the Armed Forces by equipping them with the latest weapons and platforms, focusing on modernization through self-reliance.
“India is currently going through a phase of transition. We are moving forward from being a developing country to a developed one. To become Viksit Bharat, every section of society will have to contribute. But their contribution will only be meaningful when our security apparatus is fool-proof and borders are safe. The security system will be robust only when our military is strong. No nation can develop unless its military is powerful,” said Singh.
He echoed the government’s emphasis on the fact that a strong military is a must to ensure peace. He highlighted that India has always prioritised ‘Buddha’ over ‘Yuddha’, and the Armed Forces have, time-and-again, proved that peace is not a weakness, but a sign of strength.
The Defence Minister also emphasized the need for self-reliance in defence manufacturing, stating that without it, India cannot achieve strategic autonomy. He highlighted the progress made towards achieving ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence manufacturing, with domestic defence production reaching a record figure of Rs 1.27 lakh crore in the last financial year.
“A country like India cannot depend on other countries for its security. Today, we are not only manufacturing military equipment on Indian soil, but are exporting them. Domestic defence production touched the record figure of Rs 1.27 lakh crore in the last financial year, while defence exports, which were around Rs 2,000 crore a decade ago, crossed the record figure of Rs 21,000 crore,” he said.
He enumerated the steps taken by the Government to promote self-reliance, including the notification of positive indigenisation lists of over 5,500 items. He stated that MoD is moving ahead at an unprecedented pace and in a planned manner towards making the defence sector strong and ‘Aatmanirbhar’.
Singh also announced that 2025 will be the Year of Reforms in the Ministry of Defence, with efforts to bring in reforms that will ensure modernization of the Armed Forces. He expressed confidence that with concerted efforts, India will soon become Viksit Bharat and its military one of the strongest in the world.
Rajnath Singh virtually laid the foundation stone for the Army Paralympic Node, which will be established at Dighi, Pune and expressed confidence that the node will inspire the specially-abled soldiers of the country.
