Operation Sindoor a boon for India's defence sector? Rajnath Singh says world is looking at India's defence industry
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on Monday, claimed that there has been an increase in the demand for Indian domestic defence equipment from foreign countries as the capabilities of these weapons were showcased during Operation Sindoor, India's military offensive against Pakistan.
Singh was speaking after the inauguration of the 'Controllers' Conference-2025' hosted by the Defence Accounts Department (DAD). The conference serves as a platform for evaluating challenges, initiating reforms and advancing the role of financial governance in defence preparedness.
"The world is looking at our defence sector. The valour that our soldiers displayed during Operation Sindoor, as well as the way we showcased the capabilities of our domestic equipment, led to an increase in demand for our indigenous defence products. World military expenditure has increased to over $2.7 trillion in 2024; this is a big market awaiting us," Singh was quoted as saying at the conference.
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Calling for effective utilisation of the defence budget, he pointed out that India's defence budget is bigger than the GDPs of some countries. Singh said when such a significant portion of people's hard-earned money is allocated to the defence sector, the responsibility of the sector increases exponentially.
He further noted that for the first time, the Defence Acquisition Council has permitted the capital procurement from the government e-marketplace (GeM) portal and called this a "commendable step." "I have also been informed that the department is working on the Comprehensive Pay System and centralised database management for defence personnel," news agency ANI quoted him as saying.
"The transformative changes taking place in the defence sector today were not like this earlier. Today's changes are dynamic and uncertain. Peace time is a bluff, but nothing else. However, I think we should all discuss strengthening the defence sector during peacetime," he said.
"If there is a sudden surge in the need for any equipment, we must all consider how to address this issue. All of this needs to be done in peacetime... By keeping in mind the financial management, we all should take a step further in defence economics, and the reason behind this is that the entire world is moving towards a new era of re-armament and many capital investments are being made in this sector."
A flagship forum for policy dialogue, strategic review, and institutional innovation, the Controllers' Conference brings together top leadership from the DAD, civil services, academia, think tanks, and stakeholders across the defence and finance sectors.
Defence