Rajnath Singh Calls for Readiness Against Unconventional Threats at Commanders’ Conference

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SHYAM SOOD

**Rajnath Singh stresses surge capacity, jointness, and Aatmanirbharta in future warfare

RAJOURI-DELHI SEPT 16:-Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh on Tuesday urged the Armed Forces to go beyond traditional concepts of war and prepare for unconventional threats, including information, ideological, ecological and biological warfare.
Addressing the Combined Commanders’ Conference 2025 in Kolkata, he said the global order was turbulent and the nature of conflict had become unpredictable. “Wars of today are so sudden and uncertain that it is difficult to foretell their duration. It can be two months, a year, or even five years. We need to ensure that our surge capacity remains sufficient,” he remarked.
Singh called India’s defence sector an amalgamation of offensive and defensive capabilities and urged commanders to be proactive. He spoke of building the Sudarshan Chakra as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, backed by medium- and long-term plans to be finalised by a newly-formed committee.
The Minister emphasised the “JAI” mantra—Jointness, Aatmanirbharta and Innovation—given by the Prime Minister in the inaugural session. He pushed for deeper collaboration with industry and academia to develop future-ready technologies and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to enhancing the private sector’s role in defence innovation.
“Today, we can face any challenge with the help of indigenous platforms and systems coupled with the indomitable courage of our soldiers. This is the real strength of Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” Singh said. He commended the Armed Forces for their performance in Operation Sindoor, terming strength, strategy and self-reliance the three pillars of India’s 21st-century power.
Highlighting the need for integration, Singh referred to the creation of Tri-Service Logistics Nodes and a Tri-Service Logistic Management Application to boost jointness. He also underlined efforts at greater civil-military fusion.
The Defence Minister announced the approval of the Defence Procurement Manual 2025 aimed at simplifying procedures and reducing delays. He said the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020 was being revised to further streamline processes and provide operational strength to the forces quickly.
Calling self-reliance a strategic necessity, not a slogan, Singh said indigenisation was fuelling growth, generating jobs and strengthening shipyards, aerospace clusters and defence corridors. “This is the multiplier effect of Aatmanirbharta in defence,” he asserted.
The conference was attended by Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Anil Chauhan, Navy Chief Adm. Dinesh K. Tripathi, Army Chief Gen. Upendra Dwivedi, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, and senior officials of the Ministry of Defence.