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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired a meeting of the Ministry of Defence's Consultative Committee on 'Modernisation of Indian Defence Forces' in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan on Tuesday.
The meeting witnessed extensive discussions on emerging security challenges, changing warfare scenarios, technological advancements, and the need to build a technologically capable, modern, and operationally more agile Army in line with future requirements. Rajnath Singh said that the defense budget for FY 2026-27 has been increased to a record 7.85 lakh crore. "This includes a capital outlay of 2.19 lakh crore for modernization and capital acquisitions. This reflects the commitment to strengthening domestic defence industry and manufacturing capabilities, as well as to meet the operational requirements of the defence forces." Referring to growing self-reliance in the defence sector, the Defence Minister said that defence production has increased from 46,429 crore in fiscal year 2014-15 to a record 1.78 lakh crore in fiscal year 2025-26. Defence exports, which were less than 2,000 crore in 2014 , have now increased to nearly 40,000 crore. He said that the government aims to increase defence production to 3 lakh crore and defence exports to 50,000 crore by 2029. Rajnath Singh underlined the transformative role of technology in modern warfare, stating that technological advancements are integral to the changing nature of conflicts. He highlighted DRDO's initiatives in developing advanced weapons, missiles, and systems. He said the government is providing equal opportunities to the private sector, increasing the participation of everyone from micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to large corporations in the defense ecosystem. Calling this a whole-of-nation approach, he expressed satisfaction at the growing contribution of private industry in strengthening the country's defense capabilities. The meeting also discussed the Emerging and Disruptive Technologies: Adoption of Artificial Intelligence, autonomous systems, unmanned platforms, cyber and space capabilities, electronic warfare and advanced communication systems to effectively address the challenges of the future battlefield. (ANI)
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