In a massive boost to India’s defence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has embarked on major plans to acquire weapons, missiles and 5th generation stealth fighter jets.
On Thursday, India successfully tested its nuclear-capable Intermediate Range Agni-Prime missile from a rail-based mobile launcher system. This missile can reach up to 2,000 km and all corners of Pakistan can come within its range.
With this, India has joined an elite group of nations, like US, Russia, North Korea, and China, which have the capability of firing railcar-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, or ICBMs. India can now fire an ICBM from anywhere on its vast rail network spreading from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, and from Gujarat to Assam.
Former DRDO director general Hari Babu Srivastava said, the test firing of rail-based Agni Prime will send a clear message to Pakistan. Agni-Prime is the hybrid version of Agni-4 and Agni-5.
The importance of rail-based missile launcher was realized during the 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel in June this year. Israeli air force used to target all Iranian missile launchers by detecting their locations through satellites. Because of this, Iranian army had to change its locations frequently.
In a second major announcement, Prime Minister Modi said on Thursday that India and Russia will be jointly producing latest weapons. Reports suggest, India and Russia may jointly produce Sukhoi-57 fifth generation stealth fighter jets, which can evade radars. The US had offered F-35 fighter jets for sale to India. Soon after Russia offered joint production of Su-57 stealth fighter jets. Russia has also offered joint production of its S-70B combat drones which can engage enemy radars and air defence systems.
Russia wants to jointly produce S-500 Prometheus, considered one of the world’s most advanced air defence system, with India. S-500 can easily target enemy ballistic and hypersonic missiles in air. Russia has deployed S-500 air defence system in Crimea against Ukraine. It is so powerful that it can down enemy stealth fighter jets and even low-earth orbit satellites.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will be visiting India in December and chances are that India and Russia may sign some major defence deals. The ‘Sudarshan Chakra’ that PM Modi announced from Red Fort this year, includes S-500 Prometheus.
Already India and Russia are jointly producing BrahMos supersonic missiles and all its three versions are now with the armed forces. Both countries have already begun joint production of AK-203 rifles in their factory in Amethi, UP under the aegis of Indo-Russian Rifles Pvt Ltd.
Major General S K Sharma, heading this joint venture, said, 70 per cent indigenous components have been used in manufacturing AK-203 rifles. Already,18,000 AK-203 rifles have been handed over to our army in the last 18 months. 22,000 more rifles will be delivered by December this year. This company has got a contract to manufacture more than six lakh AK-203 rifles in the next ten years.
On Thursday, Defence Ministry signed one of its biggest deals, worth Rs 62,370 crore with public sector company Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd for manufacture of 68 single seater Tejas Mk-1 light combat aircraft and 29 twin seater trainer aircraft. Delivery will begin from 2027-28 onwards.
HAL CMD D. K. Sunil told India TV defence editor Manish Prasad that the first lot of 12 Tejas aircraft is almost ready and will be delivered by December. Work is now going on for Tejas Mk-2 aircraft.
It should be a matter of pride for all of us that today we are manufacturing our own fighter jets and preparing to jointly produce the latest air defence systems. In this modern age, it is essential that we become self-reliant in defence and obtain full technology transfer, so that in times of war, our armed forces will not have to be dependent on other countries.
During Operation Sindoor, India showed to the world how its BrahMos missiles can work with pinpoint precision and cause heavy damage to the enemy. The world is today sitting up to take note of our missiles.
For 60 to 65 years since Independence, nobody even thought of manufacturing weapons, missiles and fighter jets in India. Most of the attention was given to buy thousands of crores worth weapons from abroad and there used to be reports of bribes being taken in almost every defence deal.
Narendra Modi changed this entire line of thinking. He prepared a defence policy for India, where weapons and equipment will be manufactured in India and there will be technology transfer. Work has begun.
Our armed forces have a huge list of requirements. It will take time for us to be self-reliant in defence. In English, there is a saying: ‘Well begun is half done’. The missiles, rifles and fighter jets that are being made send a good signal.

Ladakh statehood : Let the talks begin

An uneasy calm prevails in Leh and Kargil after arson and violence on Wednesday that led to the death of four persons and injuries to nearly 90 people. The Home Ministry said, the violence was a result of pre-meditated political conspiracy and social activist Sonam Wangchuk was partly responsible for this.
In a 10-point statement, the Home Ministry said, Wangchuk, in his speech, had mentioned about Arab Spring-style protest and Nepal’s Gen-Z movement. This led to youths resorting to widespread arson and violence.
The ministry said, the government’s high-powered committee and sub-committees are already engaged in talks with different parties and leaders, and reservation for Scheduled Tribes in Ladakh has been raised from 45 pc to 84 pc, recruitment to 1,800 posts has begun and women have been given 33 pc reservation in local council. The statement also said, Bhoti and Purgi have been given official language status in Ladakh.
On his part, Sonam Wangchuk alleged that the Centre was trying to make him a scapegoat and he had nothing to do with violence. He said, he used the Gen-Z word in some different context, and his words were being thoroughly misinterpreted.
Wangchuk’s problems are going to increase. On Thursday, the Home Ministry revoked the FCRA licence of his NGO Students Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh, choking off his foreign donations. The ministry found that the NGO had already started collecting foreign donations even before it got the licence. The land lease given to Wangchuk’s NGO Himalayan Institute of Alternative Learning has been cancelled. This 1,076 canal land was leased by the government to his NGO for 40 years.
One must learn lessons from the sudden violence that gripped Ladakh. It may be that Sonam Wangchuk could have incited people, or there may be a larger conspiracy.
But we should not ignore the core issue. People of Ladakh are demanding full statehood and talks must begin. People are seeking jobs, and if recruitments begin, then people should understand this fact too. Time is not lost. The situation is under control.
The nice people of Ladakh are nice and peace loving. They believe in democracy. We should regain their trust and must not delay talks. The message must go that the government might consider their demands with full sympathy and some ways would be found out.
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