Rajnath Singh Outlines India's Strategy for Defence Self-Reliance

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh declared that India's defence preparations are complete and strong, emphasizing a strategy of credible deterrence to prevent conflict. Speaking at the NDTV Defence Conclave in New Delhi on September 27, 2026, Singh described modern warfare as a multi-domain challenge encompassing space, cyber, artificial intelligence, and autonomous systems.

Singh advocated for total self-reliance, asserting that India must define and manufacture its own military technology to achieve strategic autonomy. He stated that the nation must be self-reliant in defence from chips to ships, including everything from screws to complete weapon systems.

To support these goals, the government allocated a record defence budget of Rs 7.85 lakh crore for 2026-27, with approximately Rs 1.39 lakh crore dedicated to domestic procurement. Singh reported that defence exports reached Rs 38,424 crore in 2025-26, with a target of Rs 50,000 crore by 2029. The government is also implementing the National Critical Mineral Mission and diversifying energy resources through nuclear and green hydrogen initiatives to reduce strategic vulnerabilities.