New Delhi: Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday that India caused more damage to the Pakistani establishment under the purview of Operation Sindoor, but chose to use restraint.
Speaking at the inauguration of the inauguration of the annual trade summit of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in the capital, Singh said, “We could do a lot, but chose restraint. The operation showed not only India’s military capacity but also its maturity,”Shakti and Sayyam‘(Shakti with restraint). ,
He said that the residents of Pakistan -occupied Kashmir (POK) are “our own” and expressed confidence that he would one day return to the Indian mainstream. He said, “There is a growing desire among people in PoK to return to India. Some have been misled, but many people are demanding reunion. I am confident that the day will come soon when PoK will return to India,” he said.
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The Defense Minister pointed to India’s sharp diplomatic posture after Operation Sindoor. “Pakistan has realized the expensive results of the nutrition of terrorism and we have defined the rules of engagement. There will be no dialogue other than terrorism and PoK.”
Singh underlined the central role of the Homegron Defense System during the operation, creating the years of investment in domestic capacity. Singh said, “Make in India is a compulsory component of national security of India. If we do not have this capacity, our forces cannot take such effective action against terrorism from Lower Pakistan to PoK.”
He emphasized that the performance of Indian-made platforms proved the strategic value of indigenization beyond its economic benefits. “We have established that Make in India is not only an economic campaign, but a national security is mandatory.”
Referring to approval for private participation in Advanced Medium Fighter Aircraft (AMCA) Program Announced on Monday, Singh called it a “bold and decisive decision”. The project will include the development of five prototypes after full scale production.
Rajnath Singh also expanded India’s defense manufacturing trajectory, citing an increase in production from Rs 43,746 crore to Rs 1.46 lakh crore in the last decade, with more than Rs 32,000 crore from the private sector. Defense exports, he said, ten years ago, above just Rs 600-700 crore, increased by more than Rs 4,000 crore.
Singh said, “We are no longer buyers; we are now a global supplier of systems, sub-systems, components and services,” Singh credited more than 16,000 MSMEs as the backbone of India’s defense supply chain.
In his closing comments, the minister called upon the Indian industry to consider defense production as a main national responsibility. He asked the audience to consider personal interest as his karma and national interest as his religion.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)