- India’s foreign policy priorities have always been rooted in strategic autonomy and multi-alignment, and the foreign policy of India is scripted to secure its national interests and not as per the geopolitical paradoxes and polarities.
- This self-reliance, coupled with intense diplomatic manoeuvring, is imperative to balance all the geopolitical poles, either for the sake of defence-related trade, technology transfer, military exercises or for any other strategic support.
- The strategic edge gained in this sub-conventional warfare, which was highly dominated by non-conventional forms of combat technique, has indeed boosted the morale of India and has marked a new era in the domain of aerial warfare in the 21st-century geopolitical jigsaw.
Introduction: Against the backdrop of India’s strategic success and military accomplishments achieved during ‘Operation Sindoor’, this article highlights the stellar capabilities of indigenous defence technologies that boosted India’s morale and gave it a competitive advantage during the operation. The article also highlights the fact that India has heralded a new chapter in its defence diplomacy by establishing military and defence relations with a diverse set of nations across the geopolitical spectrum, thereby articulating a strong foundation of strategic deterrence to defend Bharat’s national security, strategic autonomy, and sovereignty. Ultimately, the article reiterates how this defence diplomacy of India helps to champion the cause of collective security and balanced world order in an era of geopolitical volatility!
Defence indigenisation and self-reliance are indeed the strengths of the Indian Armed Forces. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the nation on the eve of the 78th Independence Day celebrations reiterated this disposition and remarked that “India is becoming self-reliant in the defence sector and is emerging as a defence manufacturing hub. The nation is unfolding as a key destination for global defence investment”, and to realize this vision, series of initiatives were revolutionized since a decade.
For example, defence indigenisation is one of the key pillars of the flagship ‘Make in India’ initiative. As a result of this, India’s defence production hit the mark of 1.27 lakh crore rupees in FY2023-24 that is a 174% high compared to 2014-15. This is further envisioned to reach up to Rs. 3 trillion by 2029. In 2020, the scale of FDI in the defence sector increased to 74% through the automatic route and 100% via the government route. As a impact, the FDI inflow into the defence sector was Rs. 5077 crore. The government has also anchored defence industrial corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu with an initial investment of Rs. 8658 crores in order to cut down defence imports and seek self-reliance. The government has pioneered Mission Raksha Gyan Shakti, under which the Indian Patent Office has registered approximately 1,500 defence-related IPRs, thus giving a big boost to indigenous defence manufacturing.
Another benchmark initiative by the Government of India is iDEX(Innovation for Defence Excellence), which aims to promote the manufacturing of innovative indigenous defence technologies by incorporating MSMEs, research institutions, academia & other start-ups and Rs. 449.62 crore has been allocated to revolutionise the iDEX initiative. In 2020, the Department of Defence Production(DDP) launched the SRIJAN(Self-Reliant Initiative through Joint Action) portal. It acts as a unified platform for the defence industries and start-ups to facilitate respective in-house manufactured defence equipment on the portal, which in turn helps the government to make crucial defence procurement and acquisition decisions.
The aforementioned strategic vision, benchmark initiatives and crores of investment, where did it lead us? Well, this strategic foresight helped craft a strategic edge for India in ‘Operation Sindoor’. The military capabilities of India have consolidated for decades, cumulated to defend the national security, strategic autonomy and sovereignty of the nation during geopolitical vulnerabilities. Yes! Operation Sindoor was not just a befitting response to the terror elements and their defenders who sought to illegally invade & destabilise India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, but also it was a testament to India’s incredible indigenous military weapon systems and their stellar defensive capabilities. Operation Sindoor thus surged the leverage of India as a credible and strategic security partner in the volatile and highly unpredictable geopolitical architecture of the 21st century.
Operation Sindoor was not just a befitting response to the terror elements and their defenders who sought to illegally invade & destabilise India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, but also it was a testament to India’s incredible indigenous military weapon systems and their stellar defensive capabilities.
Indigenisation: A Stealth Arc to Seek Strategic Edge
Operation Sindoor, along with establishing strategic deterrence against enemy infiltration and occupation, also rendered India a competitive advantage in defence indigenisation and strategic autonomy, which ultimately gives India a credible geopolitical mileage to ensure collective security and balance of power in Asia, Indo-Pacific and beyond. Let us decode these indigenous defence technologies used especially in Operation Sindoor that helped to accelerate India’s national security goals and its capacity as a reliable defence partner in the fraught geopolitical chessboard.
- Surveillance Drones
Hours and days before the takeoff of ‘Operation Sindoor’, numerous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles(UAVs) flew deep inside the Pakistan territory to demarcate the precise location and extent of the terror camps. For example, TAPAS-BH-201(The Tactical Airborne Platform for Aerial Surveillance-Beyond Horizon) is a medium-altitude, long-endurance UAV designed and developed by the DRDO. It can cover a range of 250+ km using C-band frequency and more than 1000 km using K-band frequency. Having a surveillance ability of over 18 hours, it can render real-time data for crucial intelligence inputs.
Further, multiple SWARM(Smart War-fighting Array of Reconfigured Modules) drones developed by DRDO were used in a coordinated fashion in the operation in order to share real-time data about the terror infrastructure. These drones are enabled with Artificial Intelligence(AI) and are capable of communicating with each other and also with the control station. They are autonomous and can swiftly react and adapt themselves to manipulations in their surroundings. The real-time information provided by these drones helped to take early defensive responses.
Decoy drones developed by DRDO are popularly called ‘dummy aircraft’ or ‘Ghost Jets’. They are designed to mimic the radar and electronic signatures of the real aircraft, thereby misleading and confusing the enemy camp. They look like Rafales, Su-30s and even MiGs, but are mere illusions which are intended to divert and disrupt the enemy attacks on India. Pakistan indeed fired at these drones, considering them as fighter jets. Such a low-cost tactical military masterstroke helped India not just shield its manpower and defend its borders, but also made Pakistan lose their expensive and strategic military equipment on these low-cost decoy drones that didn’t induce any greater loss to India.
- Loitering Munitions
Loitering munitions are ‘suicide drones’. These drones, ingrained with explosives, were used in Operation Sindoor to locate and strike terror camps. For example, Nagastra-1, developed by a Nagpur-based company and SkyStriker, developed by a Bengaluru-based company, are GPS-guided and have a range of 100 km and are capable of carrying 5kg to 10kg of warheads(explosives), thus known for low-altitude missions and extremely high precision performance. They assess the area of the target, collect real-time data and strike with an accuracy radius of 2 metres in a very precise manner, thereby avoiding any collateral damage.
- Surface-to-Air Missiles
Missiles are airborne weapons usually propelled by a rocket engine, capable of delivering an explosive warhead with great accuracy and high speed to destroy the enemy camps. Surface-to-air missiles are guided missiles launched from the ground level to intercept and destroy aerial targets such as aircraft or missiles. These surface-to-air missiles gave a decisive shield and strategic edge to India in Operation Sindoor.
For example, ‘Akash NG’, a medium-range surface-to-air missile developed by DRDO and produced by BEL, was highly successful in intercepting and neutralising the wave of Pakistani drones that tried to enter the Indian territory. Since ‘Akash’ operates on a command-guidance system, it is capable of mid-course corrections, thus rigorously switches its operational targets and effectively destroys the incoming equipment. With a range of 25- 45 km and with the ability to target enemy assets up to 20km altitude, and its capacity to carry 60 kg of explosives/warheads, it helped India to successfully block multiple aerial threats simultaneously emanating from Pakistan.
Similarly, Barak-8 is a medium-range surface-to-air missile developed jointly by India’s DRDO and Israel. Barak-8 is capable of ensuring comprehensive protection against incoming drones, fighter aircraft and even missiles within a range of 70- 100 km. It precisely destroyed multiple targets simultaneously using radar systems and helped to defend India’s sovereignty through the air.
These indigenous defence technologies are truly swords and shields of the sky that assisted India in fortifying its strategic autonomy and national security priorities. Not just that, the strategic edge gained in this sub-conventional warfare, which was highly dominated by non-conventional forms of combat technique, has indeed boosted the morale of India and has marked a new era in the domain of aerial warfare in the 21st-century geopolitical jigsaw. These novel kinetic techniques supported by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles(UAVs) have rewritten the doctrine of military manoeuvres, as they pose less risk to the lives of manpower, along with defending the sovereignty and security of India.
India also aims to achieve rupees 50,000 crore worth of defence exports by 2029, hence ascertaining both economic growth and huge inflow of foreign exchange reserves along with gaining a strategic edge as a reliable defence partner.
Applauding the Exceptional Defence Diplomacy of India
India’s foreign policy priorities have always been rooted in strategic autonomy and multi-alignment. The foreign policy of India is scripted to secure its national interests and not as per the geopolitical paradoxes and polarities. The decisions in the defence domain are not an exception to this policy of geopolitical balancing that aims to seal India’s national security & strategic interests. This policy indeed helped to reinforce India’s capabilities and strategic success during Operation Sindoor.
For example, the S-400 Triumph, renamed as ‘Sudharshana Chakra’ by the Indian Air Force, made headlines during ‘Operation Sindoor’ for its stellar defensive capabilities. India procured the S-400 air defence system from Russia. It is a long-range surface-to-air missile that has an incredible speed of 17,000 km/hrs and can operate between 10mt to 30km altitude. The entire system can be put into operation within just 5-10 minutes and can provide 360-degree surveillance by simultaneously tracking 300+ targets and countering approximately 36 threats. With its flexibility, adaptability and swiftness, S-400 was truly a ‘northern star’ during Operation Sindoor. It acted as a strong fort against Pakistani drones & missiles and protected Indian military & civilian spaces.
However, the procurement of S-400 was a herculean task for India because of the sanctions imposed by the USA. The USA urged India to buy American missile systems and also threatened to impose the CAATSA(Countering American Adversaries under the Sanctions Act), which was aimed at sanctioning countries if they procure military hardware from Russia. This law was stimulated by the USA in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and also due to the alleged Russian interference in the 2016 American elections. India overcame all these impediments through its unwavering defence diplomacy skills, and ultimately, the US House of Representatives in 2022 passed legislative amendments that waived India from the ambit of the CAATSA Act. The USA decided to do so because it deemed India a vital strategic partner to counter Chinese footprints in the Indo-Pacific. The S-400 missile system purchased with such extensive diplomatic manoeuvring indeed helped India defend its national security from the frontline during Operation Sindoor.
Similarly, India put the BrahMos missile into operation during its defence against Pakistan. BrahMos is a long-range supersonic unmanned guided missile developed & manufactured jointly by India & Russia and named after the ‘Brahmaputra’ river of India and the ‘Moskva’ river of Russia. With a range of 290km, it is a multiplatform missile, i.e., it can be launched from sea, air, land and submarine. These missiles were carried by Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jets that are produced by HAL and helped to successfully target and destroy terror infrastructures, Pakistan’s crucial military bases and air defence systems in a matter of a few minutes.
India also used a wide range of weapons in Operation Sindoor, procured from a diverse set of nations, which acts as a testimony to India’s diplomatic capabilities in the path of securing the national interests. For example, India used Banshee Jet 80+ decoy drones sourced from the USA. Heron MK-2(a surveillance drone) and HAROP( a long-range loitering munition) procured from Israel were also put into operation. India also utilised the SCALP or Storm Shadow, a long-range missile purchased from France. India even used HAMMER(Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range), a smart bomb procured from France, to strike the terror camps & training facilities of JeM and LeT terror networks.
In an era when the world is reeling under numerous geopolitical fissures and fractions, India’s military and diplomatic capability to connect with a wide range of nations from Russia to Israel to France and the UK who hail from contradicting geopolitical camps, reflects India’s commitment to defend its national interest and sovereignty through every domain and in every mode possible.
India’s military and diplomatic capability to connect with a wide range of nations, from Russia to Israel to France and the UK, who hail from contradicting geopolitical camps, reflects India’s commitment to defend its national interest and sovereignty through every domain and in every mode possible.
Enhanced Defence Exports
The aspect that mirrors India’s phenomenal diplomatic skills is the escalating defence exports of India. Apart from indigenous manufacturing, spiking defence exports are a testimony to India’s global stature as a credible defence partner. This is one of the key strategic goals of India’s defence indigenisation programme. Accordingly, India’s defence exports have spiked from 686 crore rupees in 2013-14 to 23,622 crore rupees in the year 2024-25. India currently exports military hardware to more than 100 countries, including Western countries such as the USA, France and Middle Eastern nations such as UAE, Saudi Arabia & Egypt, to Southeast Asian nations such as the Philippines, Malaysia to the neighbouring countries such as Srilanka, Nepal, Maldives and Mauritius.
India also aims to achieve rupees 50,000 crore worth of defence exports by 2029, hence ascertaining both economic growth and huge inflow of foreign exchange reserves along with gaining a strategic edge as a reliable defence partner. Especially in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, the demand for India’s defence equipment has surged as the operation was a pragmatic evidence for India-made military equipment’s offensive and defensive capabilities. The chief of DRDO reiterated that ‘the export of indigenous defence equipment will soar in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, as they are now war-tested’. Against this backdrop, the stocks of various defence companies have significantly spiked after Operation Sindoor, including those of the PSUs such as HAL. Also, several Southeast Asian, West Asian and African countries are showing keen interest in purchasing Akash and BrahMos systems. This indeed helps India to ensure collective security and balance of power in the volatile geopolitical spectrum.
Defence indigenisation and defence diplomacy of India are indeed a hallmark in the nation’s growth story. Accompanying this is India’s ability to undertake precision targeting and ensure no collateral damage, which is exemplary evidence for the incredible military skill & expertise possessed by the Indian Armed Forces. Moreover, this reflects India’s ethical and responsible approach to military operations(despite being victim to terror attacks) in an era of extreme geopolitical threats and invasions unravelling across the globe, which are devoid of humanitarian concerns.
India, thus, should capitalise further on its indigenous capabilities by building a strong R&D ecosystem so that the dependency on defence imports can be reduced to a much greater extent. This self-reliance, coupled with intense diplomatic manoeuvring, is imperative to balance all the geopolitical poles, either for the sake of defence-related trade, technology transfer, military exercises or for any other strategic support. This is the utmost ‘mantra’ for India to achieve strategic deterrence on the borders. This ‘mantra’ also aids India in accomplishing its strategic interests in the geopolitical & geoeconomic realm, even beyond the border,s that ultimately helps to emerge as a credible global security partner to craft an inclusive, sustainable and balanced world order. And of course, India is already marching on this path.
References:
- https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2114546
- https://cenjows.in/atmanirbhar-bharat-indigenisation-in-defence-sector/
- https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/from-buyer-to-builder-how-india-is-redefining-its-defence-manufacturing-identity/articleshow/112548026.cms?from=mdr
- https://www.businesstoday.in/visualstories/news/the-ghost-of-rafale-how-indias-decoy-drones-made-pakistan-fire-at-thin-air-235750-22-05-2025
- https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/us-house-votes-for-india-specific-caatsa-waiver/articleshow/92890576.cms?from=mdr
- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/russia-envoy-s-400-brahmos-were-top-guns-during-operation-sindoor/articleshow/121474359.cms
- https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/operation-sindoor-how-india-used-scalp-hammer-missiles-and-kamikaze-drones-for-precision-strikes/operation-sindoor-a-strategic-airstrike/slideshow/120997329.cms?from=mdr
Pragathi Kowndinya is a postgraduate in Political Science with a background in Journalism, Psychology, and Economics. A UGC-NET qualifier and former UPSC aspirant with International Relations as her optional subject, she is a freelance writer contributing regularly to websites and magazines on topics such as geopolitics, international relations, and national governance. Views expressed are the author’s own.
Rajeev KS 
Parag Gilada 
Aayush Pal