India defence modernisation: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has highlighted the major progress made by India in defence technology and military modernisation ahead of the country’s 80th Independence Day. In his message through Akashvani, Singh spoke about new missiles, advanced weapons, hypersonic technology and the growing production of defence equipment inside India.
The government has been giving more focus to making military equipment in India. This is aimed at reducing dependence on foreign suppliers and giving the armed forces access to newer weapons and systems. India’s defence production reached a record ₹1.78 lakh crore in 2025-26. This was almost four times the level seen in 2013-14.
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One of the important achievements mentioned by Singh is India’s progress with the Agni missile and MIRV technology. MIRV allows one missile to carry multiple warheads that can be directed towards separate targets. This gives such missiles a more advanced strategic role.
India has also been working on several other indigenous weapons. These include the Rudram-II air-to-surface missile, the Pinaka guided rocket system and the Long-Range Land Attack Cruise Missile. These programmes are designed to give the armed forces better long-range strike and precision capabilities.
Another important development is TARA, or the Tactical Advanced Range Augmentation weapon. DRDO and the Indian Air Force carried out its first flight trial on May 7, 2026. TARA is an indigenous glide weapon system that can turn unguided warheads into precision-guided weapons.
India Makes Progress in Hypersonic and Air Defence Technology
India is also moving ahead in the development of hypersonic weapons. On May 9, 2026, DRDO successfully tested an actively cooled full-scale scramjet combustor for more than 1,200 seconds at its facility in Hyderabad. The test followed an earlier run of more than 700 seconds in January. The technology is being developed as part of India’s hypersonic cruise missile programme.
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Another major step came with the first flight test of the Kusha Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile on July 23, 2026. The system successfully intercepted an electronic target designed to represent a high-speed and high-altitude threat. Kusha is being developed to deal with threats such as fighter aircraft, missiles, unmanned aircraft and other large aerial targets.
Defence Production and Budget
India’s defence exports also increased sharply. Exports reached ₹38,424 crore in 2025-26 and the government has set a target of ₹50,000 crore by 2029.
The defence budget has also grown strongly. The Union Budget for 2026-27 allocated ₹7.85 lakh crore to the defence sector. More than ₹2.19 lakh crore was set aside under the capital head for modernisation and other major defence needs.
