New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday that India believes in peace and does not seek to occupy the territory of any country, but peace should not be mistaken for weakness.
He was addressing a Defence Conclave in New Delhi, according to an official statement.
Singh said India seeks global stability without compromising its strategic autonomy and remains committed to protecting its security and strategic interests when threatened.
On terrorism, the defence minister said there could be no scope for dialogue with countries that promote terrorism against India. He said nations that use terrorism as an instrument of state policy or provide shelter and support to terrorists must be firmly reminded that terrorism cannot become a strategic asset for any country.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks at the recent SCO meeting, he said India remains entitled to take all necessary measures against terrorism as long as a neighbouring country continues to support terrorism.
Emphasising national unity as a key element of national security, Singh said the responsibility for the country’s security does not rest solely with the armed forces but is shared by every citizen. He called for people to rise above divisions based on religion, caste, creed, language and region and place national interest above narrow or personal interests.
The minister described India as a civilizational power whose rise is rooted in inclusive development rather than confrontation or disruption. He outlined three foundations of India’s approach: its democratic and civilizational traditions, the principle of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and the vision of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’. He also identified respect, dialogue, prosperity, security and culture as five strategic pillars.
Highlighting India’s role in the Global South, Singh described the country as a trusted partner and ‘Vishwa Bandhu’. He further said India had supplied more than 30 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses to over 100 countries under Vaccine Maitri and had supported developing nations through medicines, digital payment solutions, expertise and resources.
He also highlighted the Voice of Global South Summits as an initiative to advance the interests of developing countries.
On defence self-reliance, Singh highlighted India’s progress in developing indigenous capabilities ranging from aircraft and drone engines to fifth- and sixth-generation fighter jets. India’s defence exports have risen from Rs 686 crore in 2013-14 to a record Rs 38,424 crore in 2025-26, with exports reaching more than 100 countries.
After achieving the Rs 30,000-crore defence export target last year, India has now set a target of Rs 50,000 crore by 2029. Singh said international demand for Indian missiles, radars, ammunition and defence platforms reflected growing confidence in India’s technology, quality and delivery capabilities.
He said ‘Made in India’ was increasingly emerging as a symbol of trust in Indian defence capabilities.
The minister also highlighted the increase in defence allocation, which has reached Rs 7.85 lakh crore in 2026-27, compared with around Rs 2.53 lakh crore in 2013-14.
He said around 75% of the capital acquisition budget, amounting to Rs 1.39 lakh crore, had been earmarked for procurement from the domestic defence industry, supporting indigenous manufacturing and MSME supply chains.
Singh said the nature of warfare was rapidly changing, with modern conflicts extending into cyber, space, electronic and information warfare. He also pointed to the growing importance of Artificial Intelligence, drones, autonomous systems, quantum technology and hypersonic systems, stressing the need to develop future-ready capabilities across these domains.
He said India was also working to address strategic vulnerabilities involving technology, energy, data and supply chains. Steps were being taken to strengthen domestic capabilities in semiconductors and critical minerals, diversify energy sources and improve energy security.
On indigenisation, Singh said 509 defence equipment, weapon systems and platforms had been included in five positive indigenisation lists issued by the Armed Forces. He said DPSUs had released six indigenisation lists covering 5,417 items, including strategically important LRUs, subsystems, spares and components, with around 3,300 already indigenised.
The minister highlighted the growing role of private companies, startups and MSMEs in defence manufacturing.
The country’s defence ecosystem now includes DPSUs, private industries, more than 16,000 MSMEs, startups, universities and research institutions, with defence manufacturing capabilities developing across several regions.
He said investment proposals worth about Rs 70,000 crore had been received in the Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridors, with around Rs 10,000 crore already invested.
Singh also highlighted the SRIJAN and SRIJAN DEEP portals for strengthening 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, meanwhile, has created a national digital database covering more than 40,000 manufacturers and sellers and lakhs of products.
On the transformation of the DPSU and Ordnance Factory ecosystem, Singh said corporatisation of the Ordnance Factories had improved their technology orientation, output and accountability. He said all 16 DPSUs were currently operating without losses and were increasing their focus on research, development and exports.
Highlighting youth and innovation, Singh said initiatives such as iDEX and iDEX-Prime were creating opportunities for startups and innovators to contribute to national security, while ADITI was supporting the development of advanced defence technologies. As of March 2026, 676 startups and innovators had been engaged through iDEX and 551 contracts had been signed.
The ministry had also approved procurement worth more than Rs 2,400 crore from startups and MSMEs and development projects worth over Rs 1,500 crore.
A key announcement at the conclave was the decision to transfer DRDO-developed technologies for conventional missile systems to eligible Indian industries. The move will allow qualifying private companies to undertake production of these systems.
