Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday called on the Armed Forces to look beyond traditional concepts of warfare and remain ready to counter emerging, unconventional threats such as information warfare, ideological attacks, ecological challenges, and biological risks.
Addressing the Combined Commanders’ Conference 2025 in Kolkata, Singh stressed that the rapidly changing global security environment demands constant assessment and adaptation. “Wars of today are so sudden and unpredictable that it is extremely difficult to foretell their duration. It can be two months, a year, or even five years. We need to be prepared and ensure our surge capacity remains sufficient,” he said.
Singh urged the Commanders to adopt a proactive approach, describing India’s defence sector as an amalgamation of offensive and defensive capabilities. He called for medium- and long-term action plans to realize the vision of the “Sudarshan Chakra” project, which aims to strengthen India’s defence preparedness over the next decade.
Highlighting the government’s focus on modernisation, technological superiority, and credible deterrence, Singh reinforced Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mantra of “JAI – Jointness, Aatmanirbharta, and Innovation.” He encouraged deeper collaboration with industry and academia to develop future-ready technologies and reiterated the government’s commitment to making India a global leader in defence manufacturing.
The Defence Minister also underlined the importance of synergy and jointness among the three services, along with civil-military fusion. He noted the creation of Tri-Service Logistics Nodes and a Tri-Service Logistics Management Application as steps toward greater integration.
Referring to Operation Sindoor, Singh praised the Armed Forces’ planning and execution, saying it demonstrated that “Strength, Strategy, and Self-Reliance” are key pillars of India’s security. He reiterated that Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) is essential for achieving strategic autonomy and is already generating employment, boosting infrastructure, and strengthening defence corridors.
Singh said that the Defence Procurement Manual 2025 has been approved to streamline procurement processes, while the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020 is being revised to cut delays and deliver operational strength to the forces faster.
The conference was attended by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, DRDO Chairman Dr. Samir V Kamat, and other senior officials.