ASSERTING POWER ON A GLOBAL SCALE

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to THE WEEK: India is preparing to meet multi-domain threats

- PRATUL SHARMA

India’s defence prowess has grown exponentially under the Modi government, and the nation is firmly on course to become not just a developed country, but the world’s leading military power, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh asserted. He outlined a bold and strategic vision of a powerful, self-reliant India, rapidly transforming into a defence heavyweight through sweeping policy shifts and aggressive indigenisation.

Addressing THE WEEK's first Defence Conclave, Force of the Future, at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi, Singh stated: “India’s defence capabilities are like a credible deterrent, whose aim is to maintain peace and tranquillity. We also know that if we want to maintain this peace, then it is very important to keep increasing our strength continuously. Peace is possible only when we remain strong, for which we are always working to strengthen the Indian forces as a future-ready force.”

Sounding a note of caution, Singh warned that future conflicts would be “more violent and unpredictable”, with non-state actors playing an increasingly destabilising role through terrorism. The evolving nature of warfare, fuelled by rapid technological advancements, means the battles of tomorrow will be fought not just on land and sea, but in cyberspace and outer space. “Today, cyber and space domains are emerging as new battlefields, alongside a global battle over narrative and perception,” Singh said, underlining the urgency with which India is preparing its forces to meet multi-domain threats through comprehensive reforms and modernisation.