New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on September 24 said India’s national security strategy must look beyond geographical boundaries, warning that while borders remain fixed, the nature and reach of threats are becoming increasingly fluid. Speaking at News18 DefCon 2026 in New Delhi, he called a border-only approach a “perimeter fallacy” and stressed the need to strengthen defence preparedness and make the armed forces future-ready.
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Rajnath Singh said the scope of national security now extends beyond conventional military threats. Cyberattacks, drones and disinformation can affect critical systems and social stability, while hostile actors may also target economic activity and energy supply chains. He said understanding how security challenges are changing is essential to preparing for them
The minister also stressed that diplomacy and military capability should work together. Soft power, he said, can complement hard power but cannot replace it; diplomatic efforts are strengthened when backed by credible defence capabilities. Singh said India continues to pursue peace through diplomacy while preparing to respond decisively to potential threats.
Referring to India’s strategic thinking, Singh said the country’s approach had changed since 2014, and described the ability to combine dialogue with military strength as central to its security posture. He cited past military operations as examples of India’s stated readiness to protect its interests.
His remarks underline a broader shift in how national security is being discussed: preparedness must account not only for territorial defence, but also for threats that can emerge through digital infrastructure, information networks and economic dependencies. The challenge for defence planning is to connect these domains with conventional military readiness and national resilience.
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