‘We Must Be Prepared For Future Security Challenges’: Rajnath Singh At News18 DEFCON 2026

Last Updated:September 24, 2026, 8:16 PM IST

Rajnath Singh said hostile actors could attempt to target India’s security and underlined the need to remain prepared for emerging challenges.

Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said India must remain prepared to deal with future security challenges, stressing that the scope of national security has expanded and requires a holistic approach to defence.

Speaking at News18 DEFCON 2026, Singh said people are now more aware of the country’s defence apparatus, while defence and security have also emerged as mainstream subjects for the media.

He said hostile actors could attempt to target India’s security and underlined the need to remain prepared for emerging challenges.

“The scope of national security has expanded; we need to adopt a holistic approach to defence,” Singh said.

He also said India was never short of wisdom and stressed the importance of preparing for future security challenges.

“We must be prepared for the future security challenges,” Singh said.

The Defence Minister said modern warfare is no longer limited to land, air and sea, with cyber and space also emerging as new domains of warfare.

“To deal with the challenges of this changing terrain, it is essential to focus on technology and development. We have now developed indigenous unmanned aerial vehicles such as Rustom, Ghatak and Nagastra,” he said.

“The scope of national security has expanded significantly today. Borders are fixed, but the boundary of threats has become very fluid. Therefore, to address the challenges related to national security today, we must adopt a holistic approach,” he added.

Singh said India’s capabilities in drone warfare were witnessed during Operation Sindoor.

“As you are aware, we have also initiated Mission Sudarshan Chakra, which is being developed keeping in mind the challenges of future warfare,” Singh said.

He added that India is also working on indigenous defence technologies based on artificial intelligence.

“Today, we are also working on AI-based indigenous defence technologies. AI is being used for threat prediction, early warning and faster decision-making,” he said.

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What did Rajnath Singh say about future security challenges at News18 DEFCON 2026?

At News18 DEFCON 2026, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated that India must remain prepared to deal with future security challenges as the scope of national security has expanded. He emphasized that modern warfare extends beyond land, air, and sea into cyber and space domains, requiring a holistic defence approach.

What indigenous defence technologies and missions did Rajnath Singh highlight?

Rajnath Singh highlighted that India has developed indigenous unmanned aerial vehicles such as Rustom, Ghatak, and Nagastra. He also noted the initiation of Mission Sudarshan Chakra for future warfare and mentioned the development of AI-based indigenous defence technologies for threat prediction, early warning, and faster decision-making.

Which military operation and strategic initiative were mentioned regarding drone warfare capabilities?

Rajnath Singh pointed out that India’s capabilities in drone warfare were clearly witnessed during Operation Sindoor. He additionally noted that Mission Sudarshan Chakra has been initiated to specifically address the evolving challenges of future warfare.

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Saurabh VermaDeputy News Editor

Saurabh Verma is a Deputy News Editor at News18.com, specialising in Indian politics and breaking global news. With years of experience tracking election strategies, he decodes domestic issues for mil…Read More

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