Prime Minister Narendra Modi has completed 11 uninterrupted years as the PM of Bharat. The achievements of the Modi government since May 2014 are unprecedented in scale and singularity. In the defence sector too, the Modi government has made significant and visible improvement.
One Rank One pension (OROP): PM Modi lived up to his promise of implementing the OROP from the year 2015. OROP ensures that all pensioners with similar length of service draw equal pension. It has been the biggest welfare measure for more than 30 lakh Ex-Servicemen since independence. The annual expenditure on OROP is about Rs. 7000 crores annually. But this most genuine welfare measure has boosted the morale of the soldiers and the veteran community manifold.
Cross-Border Strike in Myanmar: Once terrorists targeted an army convoy in Manipur, PM Modi gave orders for pre-emptive action against the terrorists hiding in Myanmar in June 2015. This was a major shift in India’s offensive policy to neutralise terrorists across the borders. Earlier, the army was not being permitted to flush out terrorists across the borders. This aggressive stance of PM Modi would manifest as hot pursuit many times later.
Uri Surgical Strike: After a major terror attack on the Army camp at Uri, PM Modi took the bold decision of carrying out physical strike on the terror camp across the LOC in the year 2016. It is the first official trans LOC strike by the Indian army special forces, which shocked Pakistan and they couldn’t even retaliate. This attack also forced Pakistan to seek ceasefire agreement with India on the LOC.
Expansion of Indian Navy: Indian Navy has significantly expanded its fleet in the last one decade. About 50 ships of all types have been added, most of them indigenously built. In addition, Rs.1.25 lakh crores have been earmarked for future acquisitions, to transform Indian Navy to be a blue water navy, capable of sailing across the globe. The blue water capability is going to be a game changer against the aggressive Chinese designs in the Indian Ocean Region and the Indo-Pacific.
Self-Reliance in Arms Industry: As part of Atma Nirbhar Bharat, major impetus has been given to manufacture arms, ammunition, specialist vehicles and equipment in India. Besides reducing the arms import bill, the initiative has boosted the confidence of private defence industry in India. India has stated manufacturing world class armament and our defence exports have touched a figure of approximately Rs.24,000 crores in the last fiscal.
Corporatisation of DPSU: Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) was a loss-making venture of the government. The decision to restructure the OFB into seven DPSUs was a risky one but PM Modi was very sure that it was needed in the national interest. As a result, the OFB was dissolved in the year 2021 and its assets and employees were transferred to the newly formed seven DPSUs. Just in less than four years, the Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) are already in profit.
Creation of Department of Military Affairs (DMA): While PM Modi took the bold decision to create the appointment of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) with effect from 1 January 2020, it is less known that DMA was also created in the Ministry of Defence. With the CDS heading the DMA, it was a path breaking reform where all internal matters of Army, Navy and Air Force were delegated. In my opinion, this reform has ushered the long-awaited synergy and integration between the services. Such total synergy was visible during the outstanding military victory of India over Pakistan in the ongoing Operation Sindoor.
Re-Balancing of Armed Forces: After the Galwan clashes of June 2020 with China, India made major changes in how to fight China in case of war. Indian Army resolutely thwarted the Chinese challenge and finally in September 2024, China decided to disengage from Easten Ladakh in a phased manner. A major role towards this achievement was played by re-balancing two strike corps against China, as against only one earlier. Now China realises the offensive intent of India in case of any hostilities.
Permanent Commission to Women Officers: PM Modi gave immediate instructions to grant permanent commission to women officers, after the Supreme Court judgement of February 2020. Unlike in the past, where the government had not implemented the court verdict, PM Modi proactively gave recognition to Nari Shakti in the armed forces. In addition, permanent commission through National Defence Academy route has been implemented from June 2022. Women soldiers are also being inducted through the Agnipath scheme.
Agnipath Scheme: The change in intake of recruits in Army, Navy and Air Force through the Agnipath Scheme is another transformatory step defence reform announced in June 2022. The Agniveers have already been successfully integrated into the fighting units since June 2023. The Agniveers have given good account of themselves in the ongoing Operation Sindoor. The government has made detailed plans to absorb the Agniveers not retained after four years into para miliary forces, state police and other organisations.
Defence Reforms 2025: Ministry of Defence enunciated nine major defence reforms on 1 January 2025 indicating supreme confidence in its own abilities. For the first time since independence, defence reforms have been publicly articulated. As part of the Defence Reforms 2025 articulated by the Ministry of Defence, the focus on emerging technologies and domains like Cyber, Space, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Hypersonics and Robotics, the opportunities are immense for the Indian defence industry. The creation of integrated Theatre Commands is another major proposal in the defence reforms.
Indianisation of Military Culture: Indian Army, Navy and Air Force were still carrying on with a large number of British traditions. PM Modi urged the armed forces to shed the foreign culture and imbibe Indian culture and values. As a result, a large number of legacy protocols and culture has been shed by the three services. Today, India can boast of truly Indian values imbibed in all ranks. Our officers and soldiers take pride in Indian traditions introduced in the respective services. This has further enhanced the patriotic fervour amongst the soldiers.
To conclude, Indian armed forces and the civilian force working in the defence sector have been part of a transformative process in the Modi government. Indian armed forces are also making their significant contribution towards nation building. The future trajectory of reforms is going to transform the Indian Armed Forces into a technologically advanced combat ready force. A glimpse of such transformation was visible in the outstanding military victory over Pakistan in Operation Sindoor. Under PM Modi, Indian armed forces are going to be fully capable of multi-domain integrated operations along the land, air and maritime borders as also to secure India’s global interests. Jai Bharat!
