Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, in his address to the armed forces through Akashvani on the eve of the 80th Independence Day, emphasised that India’s strike capabilities have gained unprecedented strength.

He outlined the country’s progress in building a self-reliant and future-ready defence sector, underscoring the achievements of indigenous warships, aircraft and advanced military systems that are steadily reinforcing the armed forces.

He highlighted the successful testing of the Advanced Agni Missile equipped with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology. This, he said, has added a new dimension to India’s strategic deterrence capabilities.

He further noted the successful trials of the Long-Range Land Attack Cruise Missile, RudraM-II Air-to-Surface Missile, Naval Anti-Ship Missile-SR, and the Pinaka Long-Range Guided Rocket. These developments, according to Singh, have provided unprecedented strength to the nation’s strike capabilities.

Singh also referred to the successful test of the first Tactical Advanced Range Augmentation system. This system has the capability to transform conventional weapons into precision-guided munitions, thereby enhancing the accuracy and lethality of India’s arsenal.

He pointed out that the successful testing of an Active Cooled Full-Scale Scramjet Combustor for more than 1,200 seconds has placed India among a select group of countries capable of developing hypersonic missile technology.

India’s air defence capabilities have also received a significant boost with the first successful test of the indigenous ‘Kusha’ Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile. Singh stressed that these achievements reflect the government’s highest priority in modernising the armed forces through a self-reliant defence sector. He credited initiatives such as Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India for transforming the sector over the past 12 years.

He noted that domestic defence production has increased from ₹46,000 crore in 2014 to a record ₹1.78 lakh crore in 2025-26. Defence exports have also climbed sharply, from ₹686 crore in 2013-14 to an all-time high of ₹38,424 crore in 2025-26. Singh expressed confidence that India will achieve its defence exports target of ₹50,000 crore by 2029. He added that India now has 145 defence exporters, with products being exported to over 80 countries.

The defence minister also highlighted increased spending on defence modernisation. The defence budget has risen from ₹2.53 lakh crore in 2013-14 to ₹7.85 lakh crore in 2026-27. Capital expenditure has increased from ₹94,588 crore to ₹2.19 lakh crore. He revealed that the Defence Acquisition Council had granted Acceptance of Necessity for projects worth more than ₹8.75 lakh crore over the past year.

Singh reiterated the government’s focus on developing border infrastructure, improving the welfare of serving and retired personnel, and expanding opportunities for women in the armed forces.

He paid tribute to India’s freedom fighters and soldiers, stating that the responsibility of safeguarding the country’s sovereignty, unity and integrity rests with the defence forces. He added that the nation would remain forever indebted to their service, sacrifice and dedication.

ANI