Overview
- India launched precision strikes on May 7 after the Pahalgam massacre, described by the foreign secretary as preemptive, with hostilities halted on May 10 following DGMO hotline talks.
- Reports said multiple terror sites in Pakistan and PoK were hit with significant militant losses and damage to aircraft, while New Delhi emphasized a limited, calibrated operation.
- The government embedded a shift to proactive deterrence, pairing the doctrine with a Rs 6.81 lakh crore defence budget and a declared Year of Reforms for jointness and modernization.
- Domestic defence output reached about ₹1.51 lakh crore with exports near ₹23,622 crore, reflecting deeper indigenisation across platforms, electronics, and subsystems.
- Diplomatic fallout mounted as President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire on social media and later imposed steep tariffs on Indian goods, even as India suspended the Indus Water Treaty and Pakistan advanced security ties including a pact with Saudi Arabia.