Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said that wars are no longer fought only on land, at sea and in the air. Speaking on Tuesday, November 3, at the third edition of the Delhi Defence Dialogue in New Delhi and later at a meeting in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, he said recent global conflicts have changed the character of warfare, and the battlefield now extends to space, cyberspace and the digital domain.
His message was clear: military strength in the 21st century cannot be separated from technology and industry.
What Rajnath Singh said in Delhi
At the Delhi Defence Dialogue, the minister said defence reforms, self-reliance, collaborations and exports together define the transformation India wants in its defence ecosystem. He said military preparedness today goes hand in hand with technological and industrial preparedness, and that India has spent the past decade building a stronger domestic defence industrial base.
He pointed to the defence industrial corridors set up by the government and the push for more private sector participation in designing and making advanced platforms and systems.
Defence exports and budget numbers
To show how far the sector has come, Rajnath Singh cited export figures. India's defence exports reached Rs 38,424 crore in 2025-26, compared with about Rs 686 crore in 2013-14. He also highlighted the record defence budget of Rs 7.85 lakh crore for 2026-27, which includes a capital outlay of Rs 2.19 lakh crore for modernisation and new purchases.
| Events | Delhi Defence Dialogue (3rd edition), New Delhi; Consultative Committee meeting, Jaisalmer |
| Date | November 3, 2026 |
| Key message | Warfare now spans space, cyber and digital domains |
| Defence exports 2025-26 | Rs 38,424 crore |
| Defence exports 2013-14 | About Rs 686 crore |
| Defence budget 2026-27 | Rs 7.85 lakh crore |
| Capital outlay 2026-27 | Rs 2.19 lakh crore |
The Jaisalmer meeting
Later in the day, Rajnath Singh chaired a meeting of the Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Defence in Jaisalmer on the theme "Modernisation of Indian Defence Forces". The committee includes Members of Parliament from different parties, and such meetings give lawmakers a chance to discuss defence policy directly with the minister and senior officials.
At the meeting, he outlined three areas of government action:
- Budget and capital acquisition with self-reliance: spending more on new equipment while buying as much as possible from Indian industry.
- Technology: developing cutting-edge systems for new domains like space and cyber.
- Human capital: training and preparing personnel to handle modern technology and new kinds of threats.
Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar, Secretary (Ex-Servicemen Welfare) Sukriti Likhi and Secretary (Defence Finance) Vishvajit Sahay were among those present, along with senior military officers.
Why this matters
The minister's remarks reflect lessons drawn from recent conflicts around the world, where drones, satellite imagery, cyber attacks and electronic warfare have played as big a role as tanks and fighter jets. For India, which faces challenges on two land borders and a growing contest in the Indian Ocean, the shift means investing not just in more hardware, but in satellites, secure networks, artificial intelligence and skilled people.
The export numbers also matter for the economy. A growing defence manufacturing base creates jobs, supports thousands of small suppliers and reduces India's dependence on imports, which have long made it one of the world's biggest arms buyers.
What happens next
Expect the government to keep pushing big-ticket domestic orders, like the recent warship and corvette contracts, alongside new programmes in space and cyber defence. The ministry has also been encouraging start-ups and private companies to take on a larger share of defence production in the coming years.
Parliament's Consultative Committee meetings are expected to continue through the winter, and the theme of modernisation is likely to feature again when the next defence budget is drawn up early next year. For defence watchers, the key questions will be how quickly new space and cyber capabilities move from plans to deployment, and whether the export momentum seen over the past decade can keep growing at the same pace.
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