Defence minister Rajnath Singh released ‘Raksha’, a document on defence diplomacy in New Delhi on 3 September 2026. This comprehensive framework outlines India’s strategic roadmap and vision for global defence partnerships over the next 10 years.

The document marks a shift in India’s strategic engagement, aligning national security objectives with proactive global cooperation, fostering long-term stability and mutual growth. Key pillars highlighted in the strategic blueprint include:

• Strategic Partnerships: Deepening bilateral and multilateral security cooperation
• Capacity Building: Enhancing joint military exercises, training programmes, and sharing best practices with friendly nations
• Indigenous Exports: Promoting ‘Make in India’ defence platforms to establish the nation as a reliable global defence manufacturing hub
• Maritime Security: Strengthening India’s role as a Net Security Provider and First Responder in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR)

As defence diplomacy is a core pillar of India’s foreign policy, this document provides a clear, actionable vision for the next decade, ensuring that India remains an anchor of peace, stability, and rule-based order in an evolving global landscape.

Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth; defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh; secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar; secretary (East), ministry of external affairs Rudrendra Tandon; vice chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit; vice chief of the naval staff vice admiral Ajay Kochhar; chief of Integrated Defence Staff to Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee Air Marshal Tejinder Singh and other senior officials of the ministry of defence, MEA and National Security Council Secretariat were present on the occasion.