Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said confidence in “made-in-India” defense platforms has been boosted after Operation Sindoor.
In his address at an event here he also reiterated that “Today, our defense production has crossed ₹1.78 lakh crore, and about 8-9 years ago, it was around ₹46,000 crore”.
The Union Minister stressed that after Operation Sindoor, “confidence in defense platforms manufactured in India has increased”.
Operation Sindoor was India’s decisive military action conducted in May 2025 in response to the Pahalgam terrorist attack.
Many defense platforms manufactured in India played an important role in this.
“Defence exports have also reached a record of over Rs 38,000 crore, and in 2013-14 it was just Rs 686 crore, and today it has increased 57 times. And, I have not asked for the full report, but, currently it should be around Rs 40,000 crore, that’s my estimate,” Singh said. In his address he also talked about his journey to India in the last 12 years in various fields, the progress of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the importance of human sensitivity in the age of AI, including the field of journalism.
The event was organized in Delhi on the occasion of completion of 80 years of national Hindi daily Navbharat Times.
Singh said, “In the last 12 years, India’s journey has moved from deprivation to self-reliance, from self-reliance to self-confidence and from self-confidence to building a developed India.”
He said India emphasizes both technological development and celebrating its traditions and this confluence of “tradition and technology” is “the country’s greatest strength in the 21st century”.
Underscoring that AI has touched almost all aspects of human existence today, he cautioned that AI can read and analyze data, but it cannot “feel the pulse” of people, this is where human sensitivity comes into play.
Singh pointed out that journalism has also been influenced by technological advancements like AI, but they will not be able to surpass human creativity and intelligence.
He said, “The future success of journalism will depend on the balance and synergy it achieves between AI and the capabilities of human empathy. While AI will make journalism faster and more accurate, emotional intelligence will ensure it remains human and trustworthy.”
The Union Minister also stressed on maintaining credibility in journalism in the era of fake news and misinformation.
Describing the role of media in the present era, which he termed “communication abundance”, as more important than ever, the Defense Minister said that the challenge today is not the lack of information, but its accuracy and reliability.
Misinformation seriously affects the morale of society and defense forces, he said, adding that being the first to report may be important in journalism, but it is even more important to disseminate true news.
Singh said, “Especially when the subject relates to defense forces, national security or honoring those who have made supreme sacrifice in the service of the nation, every word becomes a matter of national responsibility. The media must always maintain the values of accuracy, impartiality and fairness.”