NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday announced that India's warships will be manufactured domestically, reinforcing the Modi government's push towards an 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India)' to enhance the nation's military strength and global standing amid ongoing economic and geopolitical challenges.
Highlighting the scale of indigenous effort, Defence Minister Singh, speaking at the NDTV Defence Summit 2025, noted that nearly 75 per cent of the new warships were designed locally, a development he said would significantly bolster India's strategic autonomy.
The statement comes days after the commissioning of two indigenously-built Nilgiri-class stealth frigates, INS Himgiri and INS Udaygiri.
These advanced warships feature significant upgrades in weapon and sensor systems and are equipped to undertake a wide spectrum of maritime operations.
Defence Minister Singh's remarks also follow the conclusion of 'Operation Sindoor', India's military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed by Pakistan-backed terrorists.
The attack was carried out by terrorists linked to 'The Resistance Front' -- an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba. India retaliated with precision strikes on terror camps located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir.
A notable aspect of 'Operation Sindoor' was the deployment of indigenously-developed air defence system modules, which successfully shielded both civilian and military infrastructure from a barrage of Pakistani missiles and drones.
Defence Minister Singh said the entire world had witnessed India's growing Defence capabilities.
"The way our forces, with indigenous equipment, carried out precise strikes on their targets shows no mission can succeed without a vision, long-term preparation, and coordination, " he said.
He stressed that the operation was not just a short-term conflict but a reflection of long-term strategy.