THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that there is "no dearth of fuel or gas in the country" and India was ready to deal with any energy crisis resulting out of the ongoing West Asia conflict.
Singh, speaking at a Sainik Samman Sammelan in poll-bound Kerala, said that Indian Navy ships were safely escorting the country's tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint for maritime trade and an Iranian territory.
The defence minister further said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was using his diplomatic skills to protect Indian interests in the Gulf region.
"We are closely monitoring the state of affairs in West Asia and are prepared to deal with any situation," he said, adding that India will do anything to help its citizens living in the region.
Singh also referred to the issue of cross-border terrorism and warned that if there was any "misadventure" from its neighbour (Pakistan), India's response would be "unprecedented and decisive".
He said that since NDA government came to power at the Centre, there has been zero tolerance towards terrorism.
The defence minister said that under PM Modi national security has been strengthened and the government's attitude and mode of action has changed.
This, he said, was evident from 'Operation Sindoor-- India's response to the Pahalgam terror attack of April 2025 that claimed 26 lives.
He said that during the Congress-led UPA governments at the Centre, terror attacks were rampant in the country with no action being taken against them.
However, the NDA government has curbed terror attacks and taken decisive action against terrorism.
In his address, he also mentioned the increasing importance of the maritime domain.
He said that maritime domain was no longer confined to trade routes and naval strength, but also has a role in "national resilience, economic growth, technological innovation and strategic autonomy".
Singh said that the government was taking steps to make the Indian Navy the most powerful in the world by 2047.
He further said that India was fast becoming self-reliant in defence matters.
"India, which was earlier dependent on defence imports, is now moving forward in the area. In 2014, India's defence exports were worth Rs 600 crore and now it has grown to Rs 38,500 crore," he said.
Singh further said that there has been a 62.66 per cent "record jump" in India's defence exports in 2025-26 as compared to 2024-25.
"In defence production, we have already crossed the milestone of Rs 1.5 lakh crore, and our aim is to increase it to Rs 3 lakh crore by end of 2029. This will be achieved, I assure you," he said.
He also urged everyone to choose the BJP in the assembly polls as it was the correct political party to bring changes to the state, as it came with "Modiyude guarantees" (Modi's guarantees).
"His leadership is like 24-carat gold -- it is tried and tested," he contended.
The elections to the Kerala Assembly, which has 140 seats, will be held on April 9.