Full Breakdown
India Pushes for Defence Self-Reliance and “Deterrence by Punishment” at DefCon 2026
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Core Event: Defence Leaders Call for Expanded Industrial Base and New Strategic Posture (September 24)
On September 24, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed the News18-organized DefCon 2026, urging a rapid expansion of India’s defence industrial ecosystem and announcing a shift from “deterrence by denial” to “deterrence by punishment.” They linked the change to lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war and recent Indian operations.
Background & Context
The officials highlighted asymmetric capabilities demonstrated in recent conflicts, noting that low-cost missiles can force opponents into prohibitively expensive wars. India’s “whole-of-society” approach—inviting industry, scientists and academia to act as “soldiers”—builds on earlier high-profile actions such as the 2019 Balakot air strike and the 2023 Operation Sindoor, illustrating a willingness to combine diplomatic pressure with decisive military response.
Data & Statistics
- A Ukrainian firm can produce 100 missiles per month, whereas India currently manufactures 200–300 missiles per year (Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh).
- Contracts worth INR2,800 crore have been awarded under the iDEX programme to foster private-sector missile work.
- Defence spending has risen nearly three-fold from roughly INR2.50 lakh crore in FY 2013-14 to INR7.85 lakh crore in FY 2026-27 (Defence Minister Rajnath Singh).
- R&D allocation grew 112 %, from about INR13,700 crore in FY 2014-15 to over INR29,000 crore in FY 2024-25, with 25 % earmarked for industry, start-ups and academia.
- Over 5,500 items have entered more than 10 Positive Indigenisation Lists, reflecting a systematic move away from imported components.
Official Statements & Responses
Defence Secretary Singh argued that reliance on a single state-run missile maker, Bharat Dynamics, is unsustainable. He announced the opening of conventional missile technology to private firms and warned that import dependence is a strategic vulnerability if allies become unpredictable.
Defence Minister Singh framed the shift as a doctrinal evolution, describing the “perimeter fallacy” of viewing security solely through geographic borders. He emphasized that threats now span cyber, space, economic and informational domains and that India must be prepared to impose costs on aggressors—hence the move to “deterrence by punishment.” Ongoing collaborations in QUAD, I2U2, BIMSTEC, BRICS and SCO, as well as domestic initiatives such as 15 Industry-Academia Centres of Excellence and indigenous UAV programmes (Rustom, Ghatak, Nagastra), were cited.
Why It Matters
The combined message signals a two-fold objective: reduce vulnerability to external supply shocks and create a domestic industrial base capable of rapid, large-scale missile production. By linking defence spending growth to broader economic and energy security, the government positions self-reliance as a cornerstone of national resilience. The shift to “deterrence by punishment” also signals to regional adversaries that India is prepared to impose retaliatory costs, potentially altering strategic calculations in South Asia.
Verbatim Quote
- “We have moved from deterrence by denial to deterrence by punishment.” — Rajesh Kumar Singh, Defence Secretary
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The sources uniformly present the same production figures and budget numbers; no contradictory statistics appear. However, detailed timelines for the rollout of private-sector missile contracts and the exact capacity targets for new manufacturers remain unspecified. Further data on how imported components will be phased out across specific weapon systems is also absent.