India’s domestic defence production has surged more than three times in the past decade to Rs 1.5 lakh crore, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday, October 22, underscoring the government’s success in boosting self-reliance and private investment in the sector.
Addressing the launch of the book Civil-Military Fusion as a Metric of National Power & Comprehensive Security, authored by Lt Gen Raj Shukla (Retd), Singh said the country’s defence production stood at around Rs 46,000 crore ten years ago. “Due to consistent efforts over the past few years, India’s defence sector is now touching unprecedented heights. Of the total output, the private sector has contributed about Rs 33,000 crore, which marks a significant transformation,” he said, according to a Ministry of Defence release.
Singh said the nature of warfare is changing rapidly, moving beyond traditional borders to hybrid and asymmetrical forms. “The traditional defence outlook is no longer sufficient in today’s times. Our strategies must be adaptive, integrated and pre-emptive,” he noted.
Citing Operation Sindoor – India’s coordinated military strike in May against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoJK) – Singh said the operation reflected the growing synergy among the Army, Navy and Air Force. “The world witnessed the result of jointness and integration during Operation Sindoor. Pakistan is still recuperating from the severe blow dealt by our armed forces,” he said.
According to the Ministry of Defence, Operation Sindoor destroyed nine major terror launchpads in Pakistan and PoJK, eliminating over 100 terrorists linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen. The confrontation, which followed the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians, ended on May 10 after both sides agreed to halt hostilities.
Reforms to strengthen armed forces
Singh said the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has introduced several reforms to make the armed forces future-ready and strategically autonomous. One of the landmark steps, he said, was the creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), which has strengthened coordination among the three Services.
“Our focus is to build a military that can not only defend the nation but also lead in innovation, technology, and self-reliance,” Singh said. Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, and senior civil and military officials attended the event in New Delhi.
Civil-military fusion key to national power
Emphasising the need for closer civil-military cooperation, Singh said civil-military fusion should be seen not just as integration but as a “strategic enabler” for innovation and technological advancement. “This fusion is possible only when our civil industry, private sector, academia, and defence sector work together for a common national purpose. This strengthens both our economic productivity and strategic edge,” he said.
He added that India must move from a “division of labour” mindset to an “integration of purpose”, with civilian and defence institutions pursuing a shared vision. “No administration can operate in silos; it must collaborate across sectors to achieve national goals,” he said.
Technology and security now deeply connected
Singh said the global landscape shows that technology, economy, and security are now closely intertwined. “Civil and military domains are merging. Many of our innovations remain confined to civilian use. Under a dual-use approach, if these are applied in defence or vice versa, our national power can multiply,” he said.
He urged policymakers and defence institutions to identify challenges and leverage civilian technologies while adhering to international norms. “Ignoring civil-military fusion is not good for strategic growth. It is not a trend, but the need of the hour,” he added.
