Kolkata: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday urged the Armed Forces to go beyond traditional concepts of war and remain prepared to deal with unconventional challenges such as information, ideological, ecological, and biological warfare. He was addressing the Combined Commanders’ Conference 2025 in Kolkata, held in the presence of the Chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force, along with senior defence officials.
Highlighting the turbulence in the global order and emerging security challenges, the Raksha Mantri underlined the evolving nature of modern warfare. “Wars of today are sudden and unpredictable. They may last two months, a year, or even five years. We must ensure our surge capacity remains sufficient,” he said.
Tri-Service Jointness & Innovation
Calling tri-service jointness “essential” to meet future threats, Singh reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mantra of JAI – Jointness, Aatmanirbharta and Innovation. He emphasised deeper engagement with industry and academia to develop future-ready technologies, while reaffirming the government’s commitment to enhance private sector participation in the defence ecosystem.
Aatmanirbhar Bharat in Defence
Reiterating that self-reliance is “not a slogan, but a necessity,” the Defence Minister stressed that indigenisation not only boosts strategic autonomy but also fuels economic growth, generates employment, and strengthens defence corridors and aerospace clusters. Referring to Operation Sindoor, he said: “Strength, Strategy and Self-reliance are the three pillars that will give India the power it needs in the 21st century.”
He also announced approval of the Defence Procurement Manual 2025, aimed at streamlining acquisition processes, while adding that the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020 is being revised to reduce delays and enhance operational readiness.
Presence of Top Brass
The conference was attended by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, 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.
With the defence sector focusing on modernisation, credible deterrence, and technological superiority, Singh called on commanders to strive towards building the “Sudarshan Chakra” of India’s security vision for the future.
