Union Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, highlighted what he called a historic transformation in India's defence capabilities under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, citing milestones ranging from a surge in the defence budget to landmark indigenous military platforms.

Context

Joshi's post, shared under the hashtag #12YearsOfSurakshitBharat (12 Years of a Secure India), marks twelve years of the Modi government's tenure and frames the period as a decisive era for national security. He pointed to a defence budget that has grown to nearly ₹8 lakh crore and a claimed 56-fold rise in defence exports as evidence of a structural shift in India's military posture. The post also invoked the commissioning of INS Vikrant, the conduct of Mission Shakti, and the fact that over 97 per cent of indigenous naval warships are now domestically built.

Joshi also linked these external capability gains to internal security, asserting that 'decisive action against terrorism and the successful elimination of Naxalism' has made 'New India stronger, safer and more self-reliant than ever before.'

Policy Backdrop

The milestones Joshi cited trace a policy arc that began with the launch of Make in India in September 2014, which included a dedicated defence manufacturing vertical aimed at reducing import dependence. The Defence Procurement Procedure 2016 further entrenched this direction by mandating higher indigenous content thresholds and promoting technology absorption by domestic firms.

INS Vikrant, India's first indigenously built aircraft carrier, was commissioned in September 2022 and is widely regarded as the most visible symbol of the Atmanirbhar Bharat push in defence. Mission Shakti, conducted in March 2019, demonstrated India's anti-satellite missile capability and signalled an expansion of the country's defence posture into space.

Together, these developments represent a consistent government narrative linking industrial self-reliance with strategic deterrence — a framing that has been central to the ruling party's communication on national security since 2014.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries of this policy direction have been domestic defence manufacturers, both public-sector undertakings and a growing cohort of private firms that have entered the sector under liberalised foreign direct investment and licensing norms. The Indian Armed Forces have simultaneously been the end-users of an expanding pipeline of indigenously designed platforms, from warships and fighter aircraft to missiles and surveillance systems.

The claim regarding Naxalism is particularly significant for communities in the so-called 'Red Corridor' states — Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and parts of Odisha — where decades of Left-Wing Extremism have affected development and civilian security. Any substantive reduction in Naxal activity would have direct implications for infrastructure investment and governance in these regions.

What's Next

Parliamentary deliberations on the next defence budget cycle and the commissioning schedules for additional indigenous frigates and submarines will serve as near-term tests of whether the trajectory Joshi described continues at pace. The government's ability to sustain export growth and deepen the domestic defence industrial base will be closely watched by strategic analysts and industry stakeholders alike. As India's security environment evolves — with pressures on both its northern and western borders — the political premium on demonstrating credible, self-reliant defence capacity is only likely to grow.