Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at the SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting, in Bishkek on Tuesday. (Photo: SpokespersonMoD/ANI)
Union Minister for Defence Rajnath Singh Thursday said the government stopped Operation Sindoor voluntarily, on its own terms, and not because of a lack of capacity. “We are fully prepared to fight a long war if necessary. Our surge capacity, our storage capacity, the credibility of our indigenous weapons—all of these have become part of our deterrence today,” Singh said.
Speaking at ANI National Security Summit 2.0, Singh said, “I want to make it clear once again here that we did not stop that operation because our capacity had diminished. We halted it on our own volition, on our own terms.”
India launched Operation Sindoor — targeted Indian military operation — between May 6, 2025 and May 10, 2025, in retaliation to a deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, 2025, killing 25 tourists and a local horse ride operator.
The Defence Minister said that India was fully prepared for a prolonged battle. “Our surge capacity —that is, the strength to expand capacity in times of sudden need— was not only present with us, but still is, and is in even better shape than before,” Singh said.
Recalling the day he got to know about the Pahalgam attack, he said: “I personally held a meeting with the Chief of Defence Staff, the three Secretaries, and the Defence Secretary. I’ve always told our armed forces that they need to be prepared to deal with any situation. I want to congratulate the chiefs of all three services and all the officers present, who said they were fully prepared for the operation…”
Singh also endorsed the armed forces’ efforts to strengthen their capabilities in response to emerging AI-based challenges and said: “… You have all heard about Sudarshan Air Defence, and some may even be aware of it. This is a huge and ambitious project that is a great example of the best use of Artificial Intelligence. Our armed forces have also developed a roadmap to strengthen their capabilities in response to emerging AI-based challenges using AI, machine learning, and big data science, which will prove to be effective in making them even more competitive in the future. I believe that with such new emerging technologies, our country will not only become more secure but also more empowered and prosperous…”
Speaking about enhanced military capabilities, Singh said: “For us, AI means Augmented Infantry. AI has become an integral part of our forces. It is also enhancing the capabilities of our forces on the ground, and we are rapidly moving towards making our army a technology-driven and integrated fighting machine for today’s warfare…”
“…In Operation Sindoor, we have effectively utilised AI across the board, from our state-of-the-art BrahMos missile systems to our surveillance platforms. This has enhanced our precision and allowed us to elevate our strike capabilities to the next level,” he added. “My view on AI is not limited to warfare. I am happy to say that today AI has become a powerful medium for our working culture, the welfare of our soldiers, and for raising our standard of living. We have also developed a portal for our pensioners and veterans. Through an AI-enabled check board, we have made pension-related processes even easier…”
