Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, while expressing concern over the delay in the development of a sixth-generation aero-engine indigenously, hoped that it would be achieved soon, saying there are some delays but he was confident that India will achieve the target of manufacturing it at the earliest.

In January, Samir V Kamat, Chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), while speaking about developing a home -grown aero-engine, had stated that India can develop a sixth-generation aero-engine and other technologies required by co-development with a foreign manufacturer.

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Singh was speaking at THE WEEK Defence Conclave 2025: Force of the Future, being organised here on Thursday. Highlighting the ‘Positive Indigenisation List’, the defence minister said at present, its five-point list includes 509 defence items that will be produced domestically. “Additionally, over 5,000 critical replacement parts will now be manufactured in India through Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs). A 75 per cent reservation of the defence capital procurement budget has been earmarked for domestic companies. This is a big step to promote our local industries,” Singh said.

Speaking about the evolving warfare across the globe, Singh said they have become more unpredictable and asymmetric. “Conflicts in the future will be more violent, unconventional, and technology-driven. Non-state actors will play a larger role, and domains like cyber and space will define new battlefields,” he went on to add.

“We are preparing our armed forces through structural reforms and continuous capacity-building. Our goal is not to initiate war, but to maintain a credible deterrence for lasting peace.”

Highlighting that India has reduced its dependency on imports over the years, Singh said that the earlier mindset was to import whatever we needed. “We changed that. We now trust Indian potential and capabilities. The defence exports have witnessed a sharp rise with Rs 24,000 crore in 2024. “Today, around 100 countries are sourcing defence equipment from us. We aim to cross Rs 30,000 crore by the end of this year and reach Rs 50,000 crore by 2029,” he said.

“Make in India” is no longer just a national strategy—it is now aimed at fulfilling global defence needs. In today’s uncertain geopolitical environment, we are shifting from a ‘just in time’ to a ‘just in case’ approach—building inventory, creating backups, and preparing for all scenarios,” he went on to add.