Defence Ministry targets 2025 to be 'year of reforms', Rajnath Singh says focus on cyber and space domains

Centre plans to step up on defence-related reforms in 2025, with focus on cyber and space domains, along with emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

Centre plans to step up on defence-related reforms in 2025, with focus on cyber and space domains, along with emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

The focus will also be on positioning India as a 'credible exporter' of defence products, and encourage more public-private partnerships, said the Ministry. At a meeting of all defence secretaries, Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh said the 'Year of Reforms' will be 'momentous' in modernising the Armed Forces.

"It will lay the foundation for unprecedented advancements in the country’s defence preparedness, thus preparing to ensure the security and sovereignty of the nation amidst the challenges of the 21st century," Rajnath Singh said.

Indutry can expect more collaboration across various stakeholders in the defence ecosystem, given the renewed focus expected from the top deck. The statement from Defence Ministry said more public-private partnerships will be promoted.

The reform push would aim to transform India's armed forces into a technologically-advanced, combat-ready force, capable of multi-domain operations, said the Ministry statement.

Centre has also set an ambitious target for defence exports by 2029. "Our defence exports, which were around Rs 2,000 crore a decade ago, have crossed the record figure of Rs 21,000 crore today. We have set an export target of Rs 50,000 crore by 2029," Ranjath Singh said on December 31, speaking before officers at the Army War College (AWC) in Mhow Cantonment, Madhya Pradesh.

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"Unconventional methods like information warfare, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based warfare, proxy warfare, electromagnetic warfare, space warfare, and cyber-attacks are posing a big challenge," Singh had said.