NEW DELHI — Defense Minister Rajnath Singh released the ‘RAKSHA’ Defense Diplomacy Document in New Delhi, setting a formal ten-year strategic roadmap and policy framework for India’s defense partnerships and security engagements through 2036.
The document establishes a proactive global posture for defense cooperation, directly linking national security objectives with international defense manufacturing, maritime domain awareness, and capacity-building programs.
Core Strategic Pillars of the RAKSHA Framework
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Strategic Partnerships: Expanding bilateral and multilateral defense and security agreements to foster global stability and strategic autonomy.
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Capacity Building: Scaling up joint military exercises, tactical training initiatives, and defense knowledge sharing with friendly foreign nations.
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Indigenous Defense Exports: Leveraging the Make-in-India program to export domestic defense hardware and establish India as a reliable global manufacturing hub.
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Maritime Security: Reinforcing India’s position as a Net Security Provider and primary First Responder across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
High-Level Leadership & Inter-Agency Presence
The release ceremony brought together top military brass, ministry secretaries, and national security officials across defense and foreign policy domains:
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Military Leadership: Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth, Vice Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Vice Chief of the Naval Staff Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar, and Chief of Integrated Defense Staff Air Marshal Tejinder Singh.
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Civil Bureaucracy: Defense Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary (Defense Production) Shri Sanjeev Kumar, and Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs Shri Rudrendra Tandon.
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Institutional Representation: Senior delegates from the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of External Affairs, and the National Security Council Secretariat.
