India national security and military strategy

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has outlined a strategic shift in national security under the administration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Initially, Singh focused on domestic security threats, asserting that the government has taken “decisive and uncompromising action” against terrorism and Left-Wing Extremism (Naxalism). He argued that the armed forces are actively entering terrorist strongholds and challenged the notion that poverty drives Naxalism, stating instead that “Naxalism itself caused poverty to spread.”

Expanding on this security framework, Singh later emphasized India’s broader military readiness and multi-domain capabilities, noting that military preparations are “complete and strong.” He highlighted the necessity of technological superiority across space, cyber, artificial intelligence, and autonomous systems, characterizing India’s posture as balancing the “power of argument” with the “argument of power.”

At a recent defence summit, this focus on technological and strategic autonomy was reinforced. Singh advocated for a self-reliant defence ecosystem spanning “from chips to ships,” arguing that strategic autonomy requires India to design, manufacture, and sustain its own weapon systems and critical technologies, including quantum technologies and robotics.

Complementing this, Indian Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth emphasized the enduring importance of territorial control. General Seth stated that despite the rise of information warfare and rapid technological advancements, land victory remains the only “tangible and useful factor of success.” He noted that while technology may shorten individual battles, it does not necessarily shorten the duration of wars, which are increasingly characterized by indefinite timelines and intermittent periods of intense fighting.