Defence Minister Rajnath Singh began his address at Ran Samwad 2025 in Dr Ambedkar Nagar, Madhya Pradesh, by reflecting on the meaning of the programme’s name.
“The very title of the program, Ran Samwad, strikes me as quite interesting. The name itself is a subject to think about and reflect on. On one hand, 'Ran' evokes the imagery of battle and conflict, and on the other hand, 'Samwad' points towards dialogue, discussion, and reconciliation,” he said.
Singh explained that Indian tradition has always seen dialogue and battle as connected. “In our culture, dialogue is not separate from battle. It comes before the battle. It happens during the battle, and it continues even after the battle. Take the Mahabharat, for instance, to prevent the war, Lord Krishna went as a messenger of peace. He went to engage in dialogue so that the war could be averted. When Duryodhan, the antagonist of the epic Mahabharat, refused, the war became inevitable.”
India’s stance on war
Singh stressed that India has never sought war but will not hesitate to defend itself. “India has never been a nation that seeks war. We have never initiated aggression against anyone. However, the present geopolitical reality is quite different. Even though we do not harbour any aggressive intent, if someone challenges us, it becomes imperative that we respond with strength,” he said.
He made clear that India does not covet foreign land. “We do not want anyone’s land, but we are ready to go to any extent to protect our land,” Singh said, addressing an audience that included Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, Air Chief Marshal A P Singh, and Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi.
The unpredictability of modern wars
The minister described today’s wars as highly volatile. “In today’s era, wars have become so sudden and unpredictable that it is very difficult to predict when any war will end and how long it will last,” he said.
He added that the armed forces must prepare for every possibility. “That is, if any war stretches for two months, four months, a year, two years, even five years, then we should be fully prepared for it,” he warned.
He emphasised that national security is no longer the responsibility of the military alone. “It has become an issue of a whole-of-nation approach,” he said.
Operation Sindoor: Lessons in technology and self-reliance
Drawing on Operation Sindoor, Singh praised the armed forces for their speed and bravery. “The success of Operation Sindoor is a perfect example in itself. The bravery and swiftness with which our forces carried out action against the terrorists sheltered in Pakistan was something those terrorists could never have even imagined,” he said.
He called it a turning point. “If we speak of Operation Sindoor, it was indeed a striking demonstration of technology-driven warfare. Be it offensive or defensive techniques, operational practices, quick and efficient war logistics, the seamless integration of our forces or matters of intelligence and surveillance, Operation Sindoor gave us a wealth of lessons,” Singh said.
He added that it showed the growing role of indigenous systems. “Its achievements have once again underlined that in the times to come, self-reliance is an absolute necessity. We have indeed made significant progress on the path of self-reliance, but there is still a long way ahead.”
Preparing for future wars
Singh argued that warfare doctrines have become unstable. “In just the past 10–20 years, the pace of these changes has been so rapid, that fixing any permanent pattern has become almost impossible. It would not be wrong to say, ‘The age we live in has just one doctrine – that there is none,’” he said.
He pointed to cyber, space and AI-driven systems as defining features of future battlefields. “Sheer numbers of soldiers or the size of weapon stockpiles are no longer enough. Modern battles are no longer confined to land, sea and air; they now extend into outer space and cyberspace. Therefore, what we require today is not just defensive preparedness but also a proactive strategy,” he said.
On the element of surprise, Singh added: “In today’s world, element of surprise has become even more powerful, because it is now coupled with technological warfare. Technology is advancing at such a pace that by the time we fully grasp one innovation, another emerges, completely altering the course of warfare.”
Building capacity
The minister said the armed forces are already adapting. He pointed to new units such as the Rudra Brigade, ShaktiBaan Regiment, Divyastra Battery, Drone Platoon and Bhairav Battalion. He also praised naval expansion with INS Himgiri and INS Udaygiri, and the Air Force’s induction of long-range missiles, next-generation weapons and stronger counter-drone grids.
Push for indigenous technology
Singh noted the government’s reforms in defence production. “Our defence production, which was only 46,425 crore rupees in 2014, has now increased to a record over 1.5 lakh crore. The contribution of over 33,000 crore rupees from the private sector shows that private industries are also becoming partners in this campaign of Atmanirbhar Bharat. The result of this partnership is that India’s defence exports, which were less than 1,000 crore rupees ten years ago, have now increased to a record of over 24,000 crore rupees,” he said.
He highlighted advances like the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System, Akash Missile System and Indigenous Aircraft Carrier. He added that work is underway on fifth-generation fighter aircraft and indigenous jet engines.
Singh also cited DRDO’s successes, including the Integrated Air Defence Weapon System and a High-Powered Directed Energy Weapon, both tested recently.
Singh closed by saying that India must strive to set the terms of conflict. “Today, in the world, whichever nation decides the battlefield is the one that controls the game and its rules. Our endeavour must be to define the battlefield and the rules of the game ourselves compelling the adversary to fight there, so that the lead advantage always remains with us,” he said.
(With inputs from Agencies)
“The very title of the program, Ran Samwad, strikes me as quite interesting. The name itself is a subject to think about and reflect on. On one hand, 'Ran' evokes the imagery of battle and conflict, and on the other hand, 'Samwad' points towards dialogue, discussion, and reconciliation,” he said.
Singh explained that Indian tradition has always seen dialogue and battle as connected. “In our culture, dialogue is not separate from battle. It comes before the battle. It happens during the battle, and it continues even after the battle. Take the Mahabharat, for instance, to prevent the war, Lord Krishna went as a messenger of peace. He went to engage in dialogue so that the war could be averted. When Duryodhan, the antagonist of the epic Mahabharat, refused, the war became inevitable.”
India’s stance on war
Singh stressed that India has never sought war but will not hesitate to defend itself. “India has never been a nation that seeks war. We have never initiated aggression against anyone. However, the present geopolitical reality is quite different. Even though we do not harbour any aggressive intent, if someone challenges us, it becomes imperative that we respond with strength,” he said.
He made clear that India does not covet foreign land. “We do not want anyone’s land, but we are ready to go to any extent to protect our land,” Singh said, addressing an audience that included Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, Air Chief Marshal A P Singh, and Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi.
The unpredictability of modern wars
The minister described today’s wars as highly volatile. “In today’s era, wars have become so sudden and unpredictable that it is very difficult to predict when any war will end and how long it will last,” he said.
He added that the armed forces must prepare for every possibility. “That is, if any war stretches for two months, four months, a year, two years, even five years, then we should be fully prepared for it,” he warned.
He emphasised that national security is no longer the responsibility of the military alone. “It has become an issue of a whole-of-nation approach,” he said.
Operation Sindoor: Lessons in technology and self-reliance
Drawing on Operation Sindoor, Singh praised the armed forces for their speed and bravery. “The success of Operation Sindoor is a perfect example in itself. The bravery and swiftness with which our forces carried out action against the terrorists sheltered in Pakistan was something those terrorists could never have even imagined,” he said.
He called it a turning point. “If we speak of Operation Sindoor, it was indeed a striking demonstration of technology-driven warfare. Be it offensive or defensive techniques, operational practices, quick and efficient war logistics, the seamless integration of our forces or matters of intelligence and surveillance, Operation Sindoor gave us a wealth of lessons,” Singh said.
He added that it showed the growing role of indigenous systems. “Its achievements have once again underlined that in the times to come, self-reliance is an absolute necessity. We have indeed made significant progress on the path of self-reliance, but there is still a long way ahead.”
Preparing for future wars
Singh argued that warfare doctrines have become unstable. “In just the past 10–20 years, the pace of these changes has been so rapid, that fixing any permanent pattern has become almost impossible. It would not be wrong to say, ‘The age we live in has just one doctrine – that there is none,’” he said.
He pointed to cyber, space and AI-driven systems as defining features of future battlefields. “Sheer numbers of soldiers or the size of weapon stockpiles are no longer enough. Modern battles are no longer confined to land, sea and air; they now extend into outer space and cyberspace. Therefore, what we require today is not just defensive preparedness but also a proactive strategy,” he said.
On the element of surprise, Singh added: “In today’s world, element of surprise has become even more powerful, because it is now coupled with technological warfare. Technology is advancing at such a pace that by the time we fully grasp one innovation, another emerges, completely altering the course of warfare.”
Building capacity
The minister said the armed forces are already adapting. He pointed to new units such as the Rudra Brigade, ShaktiBaan Regiment, Divyastra Battery, Drone Platoon and Bhairav Battalion. He also praised naval expansion with INS Himgiri and INS Udaygiri, and the Air Force’s induction of long-range missiles, next-generation weapons and stronger counter-drone grids.
Push for indigenous technology
Singh noted the government’s reforms in defence production. “Our defence production, which was only 46,425 crore rupees in 2014, has now increased to a record over 1.5 lakh crore. The contribution of over 33,000 crore rupees from the private sector shows that private industries are also becoming partners in this campaign of Atmanirbhar Bharat. The result of this partnership is that India’s defence exports, which were less than 1,000 crore rupees ten years ago, have now increased to a record of over 24,000 crore rupees,” he said.
He highlighted advances like the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System, Akash Missile System and Indigenous Aircraft Carrier. He added that work is underway on fifth-generation fighter aircraft and indigenous jet engines.
Singh also cited DRDO’s successes, including the Integrated Air Defence Weapon System and a High-Powered Directed Energy Weapon, both tested recently.
Singh closed by saying that India must strive to set the terms of conflict. “Today, in the world, whichever nation decides the battlefield is the one that controls the game and its rules. Our endeavour must be to define the battlefield and the rules of the game ourselves compelling the adversary to fight there, so that the lead advantage always remains with us,” he said.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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