India Bolsters Military Power With Advanced Missile Systems And Unprecedented Defence Modernisation, Announces Defence Minister Rajnath Singh
Summary
On the eve of India's 80th Independence Day, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed the armed forces through Akashvani, highlighting the nation's remarkable strides in building a self-reliant and technologically advanced defence sector. He emphasized several landmark achievements, including the successful testing of the Advanced Agni Missile with MIRV technology, RudraM-II Air-to-Surface Missile, Long-Range Land Attack Cruise Missile, Naval Anti-Ship Missile-SR, and the Pinaka Long-Range Guided Rocket, all of which have significantly enhanced India's strategic strike capabilities. India further cemented its position among an elite group of nations by successfully testing an Active Cooled Full-Scale Scramjet Combustor for over 1,200 seconds, demonstrating hypersonic missile development capability, while the indigenous 'Kusha' Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile marked a major boost for air defence. The minister credited the Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives for driving domestic defence production from ₹46,000 crore in 2014 to a record ₹1.78 lakh crore in 2025-26, with defence exports soaring from ₹686 crore to ₹38,424 crore over the same period. Singh also noted a substantial rise in the defence budget, from ₹2.53 lakh crore in 2013-14 to ₹7.85 lakh crore in 2026-27, reflecting the government's unwavering commitment to military modernisation and national security.
Key Takeaways
- 1. **Strategic Deterrence Enhanced:** The successful testing of the Advanced Agni Missile with MIRV technology significantly strengthens India's nuclear deterrence posture, allowing a single missile to strike multiple independent targets simultaneously.
- 2. **Comprehensive Missile Arsenal Expansion:** Successful trials of RudraM-II, Long-Range Land Attack Cruise Missile, Naval Anti-Ship Missile-SR, and Pinaka Guided Rocket collectively elevate India's multi-domain strike capabilities across air, land, and sea.
- 3. **Hypersonic and Precision Warfare Leap:** India's entry into the hypersonic technology club through Scramjet Combustor testing, combined with the Tactical Advanced Range Augmentation system converting conventional weapons into precision-guided munitions, marks a generational upgrade in warfare capability.
- 4. **Defence Industrial Revolution:** Domestic defence production and exports have grown exponentially under Aatmanirbhar Bharat, with India now exporting to over 80 countries and targeting ₹50,000 crore in defence exports by 2029, signalling its emergence as a credible global arms supplier.
- 5. **Massive Budgetary Commitment:** The tripling of the defence budget and nearly doubling of capital expenditure, along with ₹8.75 lakh crore in newly approved acquisition projects, signals India's long-term strategic intent to field a fully modernised, self-sufficient military force.