Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has said that India believes in peace and does not want to occupy any country's land, but peace should not be seen as weakness.
He said that India wants global stability, but not at the cost of its strategic sovereignty and the country is determined to take necessary steps for its security when threatened. Mr. Singh said at a conference here on Sunday that there can be no room for dialogue with countries promoting terrorism against India.
A clear message must be sent to countries that use terrorism as an instrument of official policy or harbor terrorists. He said that India has the right to take all necessary measures against the neighboring country as long as its policy of terrorism continues.
Describing national unity as an important basis of national security, Mr. Singh appealed to rise above divisions based on religion, caste, language and region and give priority to national interest. He described the five strategic pillars of India's approach as 'Vasudheo Katambakkam' and 'Sab Ka Saath, Sab Ka Vikas' including Respect, Communication, Prosperity, Security and Culture. He said that India is emerging as a reliable partner and 'Vishu Bandhu' for the Global South. More than 30 crore Covid vaccines have been provided to more than 100 countries under Vaccine Mitry. India has also helped developing countries through medicines, digital payments, expertise and resources.
Talking about defense self-reliance, he said that defense exports have increased from Rs 686 crore in 2013-14 to a record Rs 38,424 crore in 2025-26. An export target of Rs 50,000 crore by 2029 has now been set. The defense budget for the year 2026-27 is Rs 7.85 lakh crore, of which about 75 per cent of the capital procurement budget ie Rs 1.39 lakh crore has been earmarked for procurement from domestic industry. He said that given the changing nature of warfare, capabilities in cyber, space, electronic and information warfare along with artificial intelligence (AI), drones, autonomous systems, quantum and hypersonic technologies have to be enhanced. 509 defense equipment and systems have been included in the indigenization list, while indigenization of about 3,300 of the DPSU's list of 5,417 items has been completed.
More than 16,000 MSMEs, start-ups, universities and research institutes are connected in the defense sector. Investment proposals worth around Rs 70,000 crore have been received in the defense corridors of Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. About 33,000 imported articles were identified under the 'Surgeon, of which about 15,700 have been indigenised. As of March this year, 676 startups and innovators have joined and 551 agreements have been signed under IDX. The Defense Minister announced that the technology developed by DRDO of conventional missile systems will be given to eligible Indian industries so that private companies can manufacture them. He said that by giving more role to DRDO in research and development and industry in production, India will be made self-sufficient in defense sector.