Hyderabad: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh invoked India’s record of decisive military actions, from the 2016 Surgical Strikes and 2019 Balakot Air Strikes to Operation Sindoor in 2025, as evidence of the nation’s unwavering commitment to security and dignity. Speaking at a Jain International Trade Organization (JITO) event, he declared:
When we responded to the Pahalgam terror attack, we did not ask the dharma of the terrorists. We targeted terror, not civilians or military establishments.”
The minister stressed that India’s growing military and economic strength is rooted not in aggression but in safeguarding cultural values, spiritual traditions, and the humane ideals taught by Lord Mahavira.
Highlighting the rapid strides in indigenous defence production, Singh noted that India’s exports had soared from about ₹600 crore in 2014 to over ₹24,000 crore today, with confidence of surpassing ₹50,000 crore by 2029. Platforms such as Tejas fighter jets, Akash missiles, and Arjun tanks now increasingly equip the armed forces. He hailed the recent procurement of 97 Light Combat Aircraft from HAL, comprising over 64% indigenous content, as a landmark in the Aatmanirbharta journey.
“India today manufactures everything from toys to tanks and is progressing rapidly towards becoming the world’s manufacturing hub. The day is not far when India will emerge as the Factory of the World,” Singh asserted.
On the economic front, he reminded that India is now the fourth-largest economy, with a projected GDP of $7.3 trillion by 2030, poised to become the world’s third-largest economy, and second-largest by Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) by 2038.
The Defence Minister also lauded Jain contributions to India’s scientific and cultural legacy, recalling luminaries like Dr. Vikram Sarabhai and Dr. D.S. Kothari. He welcomed recent measures to repatriate stolen Jain idols and to recognize Prakrit as a Classical Language of India. Drawing on Lord Mahavira’s teachings of non-violence, truth, and Aparigraha, Singh urged citizens to align moral values with the nation’s march towards a developed India by 2047.
