Overview

• Rajesh Kumar Singh said Operation Sindoor exposed gaps in electronic warfare, counter‑unmanned systems, low‑level radar coverage, GPS‑denied operations and military‑grade drone manufacturing.
• He reported that India’s multi‑layered air‑defence worked effectively during the strikes, with no major losses despite repeated drone and missile attempts.
• He emphasized indigenisation as the long‑term path, noting 88% of 2024 defence capital spending stayed within India against a policy floor of 75%.
• He highlighted new funding moves, including opening 25% of DRDO’s Technology Development Fund to private firms and a Rs 1 lakh crore research fund to boost domestic R&D.
• He said there is no immediate need to raise the overall defence budget, citing available resources and a finance commitment to lift capital outlays by 10–15% annually, while a fighter‑engine collaboration with an international partner remains a decade‑scale project.