Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday (June 19, 2026) said conventional warfare and means are still relevant today as they were in 1947, and noted that a nation that fulfils its own needs can march ahead with confidence.

He was speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony for a 10,000-tonne aluminium extrusion press at the state-owned Yantra India Limited (YIL) in Ambajhari, Nagpur. The new facility will help reduce dependence on imports of critical aluminium components.

Mr. Singh said supply chains can get disrupted when war erupts. "In such a scenario, every nation wants essential items to be manufactured domestically," he said.

A nation that fulfils its own needs can march ahead confidently, Mr. Singh said.

"Conventional warfare and means are still relevant, as they were in 1947," the Defence Minister said, adding that they would remain crucial even in 2047.

This is why military industrial bases would remain important even in future, he added.

Mr. Singh noted that India's defence production surged to more than ₹1,78,000 crore in 2025-26, which was just ₹46,000 crore in 2014.

Similarly, the country's defence exports have now risen to ₹40,000 crore from ₹1,000 crore in 2014, he said.