Defence Minister Rajnath Singh urged the armed forces to be prepared for long-term wars and monitor invisible threats. Addressing the Combined Commanders’ Conference 2025 in Kolkata, Singh urged the forces to go beyond the traditional concepts of war and remain alert & ready to deal with invisible challenges emanating from unconventional threats such as information, ideological, ecological and biological warfare.
Preparing For Long-Term War
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh emphasised the need for constant assessment of the changes taking place across the globe, and its impact on the security system of the country, in view of the turbulent global order, regional instability and the emerging security landscape.
Rajnath Singh asserted that the nature of warfare is continuously evolving, and the recent global conflicts have underlined the relevance of a ‘technology-friendly’ military. “Wars of today are so sudden and unpredictable that it is extremely difficult to foretell its duration. It can be two months, a year, or even five years. We need to be prepared. We need to ensure that our surge capacity remains sufficient,” he added.
Devise Five-Year Plan
Terming India’s defence sector as an amalgamation of the offensive & defensive capabilities, the Defence Minister called upon the Commanders to be proactive in their approach and strive to build the Sudarshan Chakra as envisioned by PM Modi. Stating that a committee has been formed to examine the project and prepare a “realistic action plan”, he suggested devising a medium-term plan for the next five years and a long-term plan for the next ten years to bring the vision to fruition.
Mantra Of JAI
Highlighting that the country’s defence sector is centered around modernisation, operational readiness, technological superiority and credible deterrence, Rajnath Singh called for focusing on the mantra of “JAI (Jointness, Aatmanirbharta and Innovation)” given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the inaugural session of the conference on September 15, 2025. He batted for deeper engagement with the industry and academia in developing future-ready technologies. He reaffirmed PM Modi’s vision to further enhance the role of the private sector in creating a robust defence innovation ecosystem and making the domestic industry the biggest & best in the world.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh underscored the importance of jointness and synergy among the Armed Forces as well as with other agencies, in line with the whole of nation approach, terming it as “essential” to deal with future challenges. He mentioned about the creation of Tri-Service Logistics Nodes and Tri-Service Logistic Management Application to promote integration and jointness in the defence sector, while also highlighting the attention being paid to greater civil-military fusion.
Reiterating the Government’s commitment to Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Singh stated that self-reliance is not a slogan, but a necessity, which is key to strategic autonomy. He emphasised that defence indigenisation under self-reliance is fueling economic growth, generating employment, and enhancing the capacity of shipyards, aerospace clusters and defence corridors. This is the multiplier effect of Aatmanirbharta in defence, he said.
