Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the latest edition of Mann Ki Baat, highlighted India's achievements in defence, space, sports, and environmental conservation. He praised the commissioning of INS Mahendragiri, advances in missile systems, growing defence exports, and the successful private-sector launch of the Vikram-1 rocket.

The Prime Minister also reviewed the flood situation in Assam, assuring full central support for ongoing rescue and relief efforts. Meanwhile, former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that he will not contest the 2028 Assembly elections, citing his age and health.

PM Modi Highlights India's Defence & Space Growth | Assam Flood | Siddaramaiah's Big Announcement

Twenty-seven years after the Kargil War, India commemorates Kargil Vijay Diwas, honoring the bravery and sacrifice of the soldiers who reclaimed every inch of Indian territory during Operation Vijay. The special report traces India's military journey from the icy heights of Kargil to the modern battlefield, highlighting the evolution of the country's defence strategy.

The report also explores how India's response to cross-border terrorism has changed over the years, culminating in Operation Sindoor, while showcasing the country's growing focus on Atmanirbhar Bharat, indigenous defence production, rising defence exports, and military modernization.

Kargil Vijay Diwas 2026: From Operation Vijay to Op Sindoor | How India's Military Became Stronger

The second week of Parliament's Monsoon Session is expected to witness intense political confrontation after the first week was disrupted by nationwide student protests over the alleged NEET paper leak. Although the protests have ended following the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the opposition is preparing to raise fresh questions over the alleged use of force by Delhi Police during the July 20 protest march.

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking answers on the alleged deployment of pellet guns and plainclothes personnel against protesting students. Congress and other opposition parties are also expected to raise issues including the alleged Ram Janmabhoomi embezzlement case, the proposed India–US trade agreement, agricultural concerns, ethanol policy, and fresh protests planned by transport operators.

Parliament Monsoon Session Set for Showdown | Rahul Gandhi Targets Amit Shah | Kargil Vijay Diwas 

Israel recorded its highest-ever annual defence exports in 2025, marking a fifth straight year of record-breaking sales.  According to reports, Israel's defence exports surged nearly 30%, reaching almost 19.2 billion dollars in 2025, up from the previous record of 14.8 billion dollars in 2024.


Israel Sets Defence Exports Record Despite War & Its Own Needs 

The recent Dubai Airshow crash involving a Tejas demonstration aircraft served as a reminder that building an aerospace and defence ecosystem is not only about design success but also about developing resilient testing, maintenance and support frameworks. 

The recent Dubai Airshow crash involving a Tejas demonstration aircraft served as a reminder that building an aerospace and defence ecosystem is not only about design success but also about developing resilient testing, maintenance and support frameworks.&nbsp;

Tejas, BrahMos, INS Vikrant and more: How far has India really come in achieving self-reliance in defence production?

The Narendra Modi government completed nine years in power on May 30 and a report released on the same day stated that India had recorded an extraordinary 23 times rise in military exports during the same period. The government attributed policy initiatives and reforms as the driver of change.

India's defence exports grew 23 times in 9 yrs, says govt

The Narendra Modi government completed nine years in power on May 30 and a report released on the same day stated that India had recorded an extraordinary 23 times rise in military exports during the same period.

The Narendra Modi government completed nine years in power on May 30 and a report released on the same day stated that India had recorded an extraordinary 23 times rise in military exports during the same period. The government attributed policy initiatives and reforms as the driver of change. “India’s defence exports have reached an all-time high, surging from Rs 686 crore ($82 million) in FY 2013-14 to nearly Rs 16,000 crore ($1.9 billion) in FY 2022-23. This remarkable 23-fold increase reflects India’s progress in the global defence manufacturing sector," the statement said. “To give a push to defence exports, the government has taken a number of policy initiatives and brought reforms over the last nine years. Export procedures have been simplified and made industry-friendly, with end-to-end online export authorisation curtailing delays and bringing ease of doing business,” it added. The major destinations for India's defence product exports include the likes of Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, Italy, France, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Philippines, Poland, Spain, Mauritius, Bhutan, Israel and Ethiopia. New Delhi has been exporting coastal surveillance systems, spares for radars, electronic systems and light engineering mechanical parts, personal protective items, offshore patrol vessels, ALH helicopters and SU Avionics amongst other items. Make-in-India paying dividends? For a country that has been heavily reliant on military imports since its independence, the meteoric rise in exports suggests that a defence manufacturing setup (still in its relative infancy) has finally started to pay dividends. The foundation of the defence manufacturing sector lay in the 'Make-in-India' initiative launched by PM Modi soon after ascending to power in 2014. WATCH | Rise of the Indian Defence Industry | Exports cross ₹130 Billion, imports down 11% × Double joy as defence imports decrease While India's exports grew, its defence imports declined by 11 per cent between 2013-17 and 2018-22. The decline has been linked to a complex procurement process, efforts to diversify arms suppliers and attempts to replace imports with local designs. India’s domestic procurement climbed to 68 per cent in FY22. The next target envisioned by the government is to touch Rs 17,000 crore ($2.1bn) worth of defence exports in FY23. Earlier this month, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that overall defence production had breached the Rs 1 lakh crore mark. ALSO READ | The rise of Indian defence industry: Exports cross $1.6 billion, imports down 11% “Defence production has crossed Rs 1 lakh crore, armed forces are also being given cutting edge equipment and border road infrastructure is something that is a remarkable achievement.” Earlier this year, while presenting the budget, Sitharaman announced that the defence budget was increased to Rs 5.94 lakh crore from last year's allocation of Rs 5.25 lakh crore. The budget documents show that an allocation of Rs 2,70,120 crore has been made for revenue expenditure. This includes expenses on payment of salaries and maintenance of establishments. The budgetary allocation of revenue expenditure in 2022-23 was Rs 2,39,000 crore. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

India's defence exports grew 23 times in 9 years, surpassed $1.9 billion in FY 22-23

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday invited foreign defence companies to participate in the next edition of the DefExpo, saying India is open to conducting business on a mutually beneficial and collaborative approach in the spirit of "give and take".

In an address at an ambassadors' roundtable on the upcoming expo, Singh said India's defence exports have grown by 334 per cent in the last five years and now India is exporting military equipment to more than 75 countries.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/union-home-minister-amit-shah-spends-night-at-crpf-camp-in-pulwama-423990" hreflang="en">Union home minister Amit Shah spends night at CRPF camp in Pulwama</a>

He said the upcoming DefExpo will provide an overview of what India has been able to achieve in terms of defence research and development, production and application of modern technologies for use by the military.

Gandhinagar in Gujarat will host the 12th edition of India's mega defence exhibition, the DefExpo, from March 11-13 next year.

The roundtable was aimed at briefing the ambassadors of foreign missions on the planning, arrangements and other details of DefExpo 2022.

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Had an amazing interaction with the Ambassadors of several countries at the Ambassadors’ Round Table in New Delhi. 
 
Invited the foreign defence companies to participate in Asia’s largest defence exhibition in Gandhinagar, Gujarat to be held next year.<a href="https://t.co/BBWMwlNO3z">https://t.co/BBWMwlNO3z</a> <a href="https://t.co/9riol39y4Z">pic.twitter.com/9riol39y4Z</a>
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) <a href="https://twitter.com/rajnathsingh/status/1452585474283900930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The defence ministry said more than 200 delegates, including ambassadors, heads of missions and defence attaches, attended the roundtable, reflecting the growing global interest in the Indian defence space.

Singh also reiterated the government's commitment to the collective security system laid down in Chapter VII of the UN Charter which deals with action with respect to threats to the peace, breaches of the peace and acts of aggression.

"As a responsible nation, we wish to ensure a stable international security system through these collaborations and efforts," he said.

Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, Secretary (Defence Production) Raj Kumar and other senior officials of the ministry and the government of Gujarat were also present.

"Inviting the foreign delegates to attend DefExpo 2022, Asia's largest defence exhibition, Rajnath Singh said India is open to conduct business on a mutually beneficially collaborative basis, in the spirit of give and take, for all-round welfare of everyone," the defence ministry said in a statement.

The defence minister said he was sanguine that the exhibition will bring all the latest technologies under one roof and provide a myriad of opportunities to the stakeholders in the aerospace and defence industry.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-and-australia-share-an-important-partnership-says-rajnath-singh-412340">India and Australia share an important partnership, says Rajnath Singh</a>

"The Defence Expo-2022 is going to provide an overview of what India has been able to achieve in terms of defence R and D and production, application of modern technologies, liberalised collaborative policies that we have introduced in a short period of 5-7 years," Singh said.

He told the envoys that the participation of their respective countries at the expo will lead to the development of "mutually advantageous relationships" in the defence sector.

"Resurgent India, where defence manufacturing is an identified pillar of growth, will display its ability to take lead at DefExpo 2022. I am confident that pursuing the vision of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, DefExpo-2022 will sow the seeds of successful new ventures and international partnerships," Singh said.

He said a strong defence ecosystem in India shall be ready to serve the defence requirements of its friendly countries.

Singh appreciated the efforts of the Indian defence industry and thanked the foreign aerospace and defence companies for investing in the Indian defence growth story.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-army-commanders-review-situation-along-lac-with-china-423950" hreflang="en">Indian Army commanders review situation along LAC with China</a>

"It is because of the collaborative efforts of entities from all over the world that our defence exports have grown by 334 per cent in last five years and now India is exporting to more than 75 countries," he said.

"Our export performance is a strong indicator of the quality and competitiveness of our defence products," he added.

The focus of the exhibition will be to showcase India as an emerging hub for the manufacturing of military hardware.

"The defence ministry will remain available and proactively engage through the next four-plus months to develop and build DefExpo-2022 as one of the marquee events as India celebrates its 75 years of independence as Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav," Singh said.

Major global and domestic military firms are expected to participate in the biennial edition of the DefExpo with their latest weaponry and platforms.

The 11th edition of DefExpo had taken place in Lucknow last year.&nbsp;The theme of the upcoming DefExpo will be "India: The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub", officials said.

The government is expected to highlight measures at the event to transform India into a hub of military manufacturing.

The government has initiated a series of measures in the last couple of years to encourage the domestic defence industry.

In August last year, Singh announced that India will stop the import of 101 weapons and military platforms like transport aircraft, light combat helicopters, conventional submarines, cruise missiles and sonar systems by 2024.

A second negative list, putting import restrictions on 108 military weapons and systems such as next-generation corvettes, airborne early warning systems, tank engines and radars, was issued recently.

In May last year, the government announced increasing the FDI limit from 49 per cent to 74 per cent under the automatic route in the defence sector.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday invited foreign defence companies to participate in the next edition of the DefExpo, saying India is open to conducting business on a mutually beneficial and collaborative approach in the spirit of "give and take".

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday invited foreign defence companies to participate in the next edition of the DefExpo, saying India is open to conducting business on a mutually beneficial and collaborative approach in the spirit of "give and take". In an address at an ambassadors' roundtable on the upcoming expo, Singh said India's defence exports have grown by 334 per cent in the last five years and now India is exporting military equipment to more than 75 countries. Also read | Union home minister Amit Shah spends night at CRPF camp in Pulwama He said the upcoming DefExpo will provide an overview of what India has been able to achieve in terms of defence research and development, production and application of modern technologies for use by the military. Gandhinagar in Gujarat will host the 12th edition of India's mega defence exhibition, the DefExpo, from March 11-13 next year. The roundtable was aimed at briefing the ambassadors of foreign missions on the planning, arrangements and other details of DefExpo 2022. Had an amazing interaction with the Ambassadors of several countries at the Ambassadors’ Round Table in New Delhi. Invited the foreign defence companies to participate in Asia’s largest defence exhibition in Gandhinagar, Gujarat to be held next year.https://t.co/BBWMwlNO3z pic.twitter.com/9riol39y4Z — Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) October 25, 2021 × The defence ministry said more than 200 delegates, including ambassadors, heads of missions and defence attaches, attended the roundtable, reflecting the growing global interest in the Indian defence space. Singh also reiterated the government's commitment to the collective security system laid down in Chapter VII of the UN Charter which deals with action with respect to threats to the peace, breaches of the peace and acts of aggression. "As a responsible nation, we wish to ensure a stable international security system through these collaborations and efforts," he said. Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, Secretary (Defence Production) Raj Kumar and other senior officials of the ministry and the government of Gujarat were also present. "Inviting the foreign delegates to attend DefExpo 2022, Asia's largest defence exhibition, Rajnath Singh said India is open to conduct business on a mutually beneficially collaborative basis, in the spirit of give and take, for all-round welfare of everyone," the defence ministry said in a statement. The defence minister said he was sanguine that the exhibition will bring all the latest technologies under one roof and provide a myriad of opportunities to the stakeholders in the aerospace and defence industry. Also read | India and Australia share an important partnership, says Rajnath Singh "The Defence Expo-2022 is going to provide an overview of what India has been able to achieve in terms of defence R and D and production, application of modern technologies, liberalised collaborative policies that we have introduced in a short period of 5-7 years," Singh said. He told the envoys that the participation of their respective countries at the expo will lead to the development of "mutually advantageous relationships" in the defence sector. "Resurgent India, where defence manufacturing is an identified pillar of growth, will display its ability to take lead at DefExpo 2022. I am confident that pursuing the vision of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, DefExpo-2022 will sow the seeds of successful new ventures and international partnerships," Singh said. He said a strong defence ecosystem in India shall be ready to serve the defence requirements of its friendly countries. Singh appreciated the efforts of the Indian defence industry and thanked the foreign aerospace and defence companies for investing in the Indian defence growth story. Also read | Indian Army commanders review situation along LAC with China "It is because of the collaborative efforts of entities from all over the world that our defence exports have grown by 334 per cent in last five years and now India is exporting to more than 75 countries," he said. "Our export performance is a strong indicator of the quality and competitiveness of our defence products," he added. The focus of the exhibition will be to showcase India as an emerging hub for the manufacturing of military hardware. "The defence ministry will remain available and proactively engage through the next four-plus months to develop and build DefExpo-2022 as one of the marquee events as India celebrates its 75 years of independence as Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav," Singh said. Major global and domestic military firms are expected to participate in the biennial edition of the DefExpo with their latest weaponry and platforms. The 11th edition of DefExpo had taken place in Lucknow last year. The theme of the upcoming DefExpo will be "India: The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub", officials said. The government is expected to highlight measures at the event to transform India into a hub of military manufacturing. The government has initiated a series of measures in the last couple of years to encourage the domestic defence industry. In August last year, Singh announced that India will stop the import of 101 weapons and military platforms like transport aircraft, light combat helicopters, conventional submarines, cruise missiles and sonar systems by 2024. A second negative list, putting import restrictions on 108 military weapons and systems such as next-generation corvettes, airborne early warning systems, tank engines and radars, was issued recently. In May last year, the government announced increasing the FDI limit from 49 per cent to 74 per cent under the automatic route in the defence sector.

Defence exports have grown 334% in 5 years: Rajnath Singh

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