Rajnath Singh urges armed forces to prepare for unconventional threats

Rajnath Singh urges armed forces to prepare for unconventional threats

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, while addressing the Combined Commanders’ Conference 2025 in Kolkata on Tuesday, called on India’s Armed Forces to go beyond traditional warfare paradigms and remain prepared for unconventional threats such as information, ideological, ecological, and biological warfare.

In a statement released by the Ministry of Defence, Singh highlighted the need for constant assessment of global developments, warning that the turbulent geopolitical climate, regional instability, and shifting power dynamics have significant implications for India’s security architecture.

Calling India’s defence approach an amalgamation of offensive and defensive capabilities, Singh urged the Commanders to adopt a proactive strategy, aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of building a ‘Sudarshan Chakra’—a metaphor for a robust, tech-driven defence ecosystem. A committee has been formed to create an actionable roadmap, with five- and ten-year defence planning cycles in focus.

Reinforcing PM Modi’s mantra of JAI — Jointness, Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance), and Innovation, Singh stressed modernisation, operational readiness, and credible deterrence as the core pillars of India’s defence strategy.

He also pushed for deeper collaboration with industry and academia to develop future-ready technologies, and highlighted the government's push to integrate the private sector in defence manufacturing.

Singh praised recent efforts to promote jointness and synergy among the tri-services, saying developments such as the Tri-Service Logistics Nodes and Logistic Management Application, as well as initiatives to foster civil-military fusion.

Referring to the successful Operation Sindoor, Singh praised the Armed Forces for their “exemplary professionalism”, saying it demonstrated India’s growing strategic strength rooted in self-reliance, strategy, and courage.