Overview
- The defence minister spoke at the Forces First conclave on Saturday, July 18, 2026, saying Operation Sindoor shows India will 'enter their homes and strike them' as part of a declared zero‑tolerance line of action.
- Singh credited indigenous systems — including the Akash Teer air‑defence system, the Akash missile and the BrahMos — as being effectively used in the operation to demonstrate improved operational reach.
- He said annual defence production hit a record ~Rs 1.78 lakh crore in FY2025‑26, defence exports rose to ~Rs 38,000 crore, and the government now aims to exceed Rs 2 lakh crore this year, Rs 3 lakh crore by 2029 and Rs 50,000 crore in exports by 2029.
- The minister highlighted industrial and policy changes that he says enabled the shift: five Positive Indigenisation Lists covering hundreds of items, five PSU lists covering thousands more, a domestic supplier base of more than 500 companies, and export‑friendly tools such as the Defence EXIM Portal and Open General Export Licence.
- Singh framed the push as both a deterrent signal to Pakistan and a means to expand India’s security role from the Indian Ocean to the Indo‑Pacific, while defence corridors and investments are intended to grow jobs, supply chains and local manufacturing capacity.