New Delhi, May 08: “Operation Sindoor was successfully executed because our formidable & professionally-trained Armed Forces were equipped with high-quality equipment,” said Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh while addressing the National Quality Conclave in New Delhi today.

Raksha Mantri commended the precision with which the Armed Forces executed the operation without harming any innocent person and with minimum collateral damage, terming it as unimaginable and a matter of great pride for the nation.

“In Operation Sindoor, nine terror camps were destroyed in Pakistan & PoK, and a good number of terrorists were killed. It shows the crucial role ‘quality’ plays in securing national interests,” said Rajnath Singh.

Raksha Mantri asserted that India has always played the role of a responsible nation exercising great restraint and it believes in resolving issues through dialogue, however, if anyone tries to take advantage of this restraint, they will face ‘quality action’. He assured the nation that no limit will become an obstacle for the Government in protecting India’s sovereignty. “We are fully prepared for such responsible responses in the future as well,” he said.

Sharing his views on the theme of the conclave ‘Fast-tracking of Quality Assurance through Integrated Approach and Technology Enabled Processes’, Shri Rajnath Singh stated that fast-tracking quality assessment is the need of the hour in view of the disruptive changes and new transformations being witnessed in the defence sector across the globe.

Raksha Mantri voiced the Government’s emphasis on the empowerment of the defence production sector since 2014, based on Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s philosophy of Defence Sovereignty. He said: “Defence Sovereignty means that until a country is capable and self-reliant in its defence needs, its independence cannot be considered complete. If we buy weapons and other defence equipment from abroad, we are outsourcing our security and leaving it at the mercy of someone else. Our government thought over it seriously and took a decisive step to achieve self-reliance. The expanding defence industrial ecosystem is providing an unprecedented strength to India”.

Rajnath Singh added that equal emphasis is being laid on quality and quantity in defence production with many revolutionary steps being taken in that direction, including corporatisation of Ordnance Factory Board (OFB). He termed Quality as the Government’s priority Reform Agenda, highlighting that since the corporatisation of OFB, DPSUs have become internationally competitive and export-oriented, with efforts being made to advance quality production.

Raksha Mantri pointed out that one of the objectives behind the progress of the public sector has been to develop a Healthy Competitive Private Defence Ecosystem, which will strengthen India’s security through quality. “In today’s world, a strong brand value is important than just a product. The brand, which assures consistent quality and reliability, succeeds,” he said.

Rajnath Singh appealed to the Armed Forces, Government QA agencies, DPSUs, private industry, research institutions, academia, and MSME representatives present on the occasion to build a world-leading state-of-the-art Brand India.  “Brand India means if an Indian company has promised something, it will definitely happen. ‘Whenever in doubt, go for India’ should be our USP,” he said.

On the major changes being witnessed in the global order, Raksha Mantri stated that when developed countries move towards re-armament, the demand for arms & equipment will increase. He cited the report of Stockholm International Peace Research Institute which said that the world military expenditure has reached $ 2,718 billion in 2024. He expressed hope that with coordinated efforts, the Indian defence manufacturing sector can make its mark globally with the Brand India philosophy. “Defence exports crossed the record figure of about Rs 24,000 crore in Financial Year 2024-25. Our aim is to increase the figure to Rs 50,000 crore by 2029. The target is to make India a developed nation and the world’s largest defence exporter by 2047. To achieve the goal, we must develop global trust regarding the quality of our defence equipment,” he said.

While Rajnath Singh acknowledged the efforts being made towards quality improvement, he stressed on the need to focus on using tools such as artificial intelligence, internet of things, and machine learning for real-time quality monitoring in today’s technology-driven era. He also called for updating standards and testing protocols to align with evolving global technologies. We need to focus on time-bound quality assurance clearances so that unwanted delays do not take place, he said.

Raksha Mantri added that quality assessment agencies should always keep an eye on their deficiencies and work on overcoming them through modernisation and development of testing infrastructure. Continuous gap analysis in the field of niche technology will be an essential step, he said.

Organised by the Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) under the aegis of Department of Defence Production, the conclave underscored the need to transition from legacy QA models to predictive, data-driven, and automated systems. Experts called for seamless collaboration across stakeholders to accelerate certification timelines, streamline inspections, and embed real-time quality oversight into defence production.

Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar spotlighted the role of innovation and industry collaboration in making India a leading defence exporter. In a transparent and interactive Open House session, he addressed queries from defence industry representatives and user agencies, reinforcing the Ministry’s resolve to simplify, digitalise, and modernise QA systems.

Key Highlights & Announcements

A landmark session introduced the Industry 4.0/QA 4.0 Roadmap, developed jointly by DGQA and industry partners. It includes deployment of smart technologies like Internet of Things-enabled test benches, automated data capture, digital dashboards, and AI-powered analytics—aimed at reducing human error, enhancing efficiency, and enabling continuous quality monitoring across defence product life-cycles.

The Draft Indian Military Airworthiness Bill was formally presented for final inputs. The Bill, crafted through an inclusive process involving multiple stakeholders, including MoD, DRDO, Services, DPSUs, and industry, proposes a statutory framework for the certification of military aircraft and airborne systems. A dedicated interactive session captured final feedback from user representatives and industry forums.

A dedicated session explored strategies to boost the indigenous development of Explosives and Ordnance (E&O) stores. Experts examined the role of emerging technologies – AI/ML, Big Data, Additive Manufacturing, Silicon Photonics, Semiconductors, and Advanced Materials—in modernising E&O production, safety validation, and certification. The session reinforced the need for technological self-reliance in critical munitions and precision systems.

The National Quality Conclave 2025 concluded with a united commitment from all stakeholders to redefine defence QA as a strategic enabler, not just of compliance, but of national security, export capability, and indigenous innovation. The outcomes of the conclave are expected to catalyse India’s transformation into a global benchmark for defence quality assurance.

DG, DGQA N Manoharan emphasised that the conclave had significantly strengthened the partnership between industry and defence stakeholders, while also advancing efforts toward standardisation and innovation in quality assurance.

Director General of Naval Armament Inspection Rear Admiral Rupak Barua, Director General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance Sanjay Chawla, CMDs of DPSUs, senior MoD officers were also present on the occasion.

New Delhi, May 08: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting with the Secretaries of various Ministries and Departments of the Government of India to review national preparedness and inter-ministerial coordination in light of recent developments concerning national security.

According to a government media release, PM Modi stressed the need for seamless coordination among ministries and agencies to uphold operational continuity and institutional resilience.

The PM reviewed the planning and preparation by ministries to deal with the current situation.

The Secretaries have been directed to undertake a comprehensive review of their respective ministries’ operations and ensure foolproof functioning of essential systems, with special focus on readiness, emergency response, and internal communication protocols.

The officers detailed their planning with a whole-of-government approach in the current situation.

All ministries have identified their actionables in relation to the conflict and are strengthening processes.

The ministries are ready to deal with all kinds of emerging situations, the official release said.

A range of issues were discussed during the meeting. These included, among others, strengthening of civil defence mechanisms, efforts to counter misinformation and fake news, and ensuring the security of critical infrastructure.

The ministries were also advised to maintain close coordination with state authorities and ground-level institutions.

The meeting was attended by the Cabinet Secretary, senior officials from the Prime Minister’s Office, and Secretaries from key ministries, including Defence, Home Affairs, External Affairs, Information and Broadcasting, Power, Health, and Telecommunications.

The Prime Minister called for continued alertness, institutional synergy, and clear communication as the nation navigates a sensitive period.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to national security, operational preparedness, and citizen safety.

Prior to the meeting with the officials, PM Modi also met National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval at his residence.

The NSA briefed him about the current situation on the Western border and developments after Operation Sindoor, sources said..

As per sources, the meeting continued for almost an hour at the PM’s residence. After the meeting with the NSA, the Union Home Secretary also met the Prime Minister.

The briefing comes as 13 civilians died in Jammu and Kashmir in heavy shelling by Pakistan. As per the government, these are the civilian casualties in ceasefire violations along the LoC by Pakistan, and all are in Poonch. The number of injured has risen to 59. Of these, 44 are in Poonch.

New Delhi, May 8: Ahead of the all-party meeting here on Thursday, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and briefed him on the current situation on the Western border and developments after Operation Sindoor.

As per sources, the meeting continued for almost an hour at the PM’s residence.

After the meeting with the NSA, the Union Home Secretary also met the Prime Minister.

The briefing comes as 13 civilians died in Jammu and Kashmir in heavy shelling by Pakistan. As per the government, these are the civilian casualties in ceasefire violations along the LoC by Pakistan, and all are in Poonch. The number of injured has risen to 59. Of these, 44 are in Poonch.

There is a heightened vigilance on the western borders of the country, which have been sealed in Rajasthan and other states. Leaves of government staff have been cancelled, and schools and other educational institutions have been shut for the day. Airspace in several western cities has been closed till May 10.

The security and defence systems are in high activity mode. Multi-layered air defence network has been fully activated, several frontline warships are deployed in the Arabian Sea and infantry units along the frontier are fully prepared to deal with any situation.

The Centre has convened an all-party meeting to brief the parties on the strategic strikes — a tri-service military action targeting nine high-value terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

At the all-party meeting, which began at 11 a.m., the Centre briefed political leaders on the military strikes on targets, about the objectives of the operation, the strategic and security impact, and India’s preparedness in the event of any retaliatory actions from Pakistan.

The government will also brief the opposition leaders on the current situation at the borders and India’s preparedness to meet any eventualities.

The precision strikes were launched in the early hours of Wednesday and lasted just 25 minutes. Between 1.05 a.m. and 1.30 a.m., 24 missiles were deployed to strike nine terrorist facilities, including Lashkar-e-Taiba’s headquarters in Muridke and major terror training sites in Bahawalpur — long considered breeding grounds for extremist operations.

India emphasised that the action was not escalatory but a calculated and proportionate response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 civilians, including a Nepali national, were killed. “Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in the selection of targets and method of execution,” the government said in a statement.

New Delhi, May 8: The government is briefing an all-party meeting on Thursday on the success of “Operation Sindoor” and its aftermath, as top government functionaries and opposition leaders met for a second time in a fortnight amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22.

Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, S Jaishankar, J P Nadda and Nirmala Sitharaman represented the government, while Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge from the Congress, Sandip Bandyopadhyay of the Trinamool Congress and DMK’s T R Baalu were among the leading opposition figures in the meeting.

Singh is chairing the meeting.

Other opposition leaders included Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, Sanjay Singh of the AAP, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sanjay Raut, NCP (SP)’s Supriya Sule, BJD’s Sasmit Patra and CPI(M)’s John Brittas.

JD(U) leader Sanjay Jha, Union minister and LJP (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan and AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi were also part of the meeting.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government wanted to brief all parties on “Operation Sindoor”.

In retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack, Indian armed forces carried out missile strikes early Wednesday on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, including the Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold of Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba’s base Muridke.

The military strikes were carried out under ‘Operation Sindoor’ two weeks after the massacre of 26 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.

The government had earlier called an all-party meeting on April 24 to brief leaders on the attack.