BENGALURU: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday stressed on the need to move beyond fifth-generation aerospace engines and develop the sixth generation. Noting that while developed nations often take 25-30 years to develop next-generation engines, he called upon Indian scientists to compress timelines in view of the nation’s strategic needs.
“We must assume that 20 years have already passed, and have only five to seven years left,” Singh said, describing it as a call for action aligned with national aspirations.
The defence minister said this during a visit to the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) in Bengaluru, where he reviewed the status of ongoing projects relating to indigenous military gas turbine engine development a day ahead of the sixth India-France Annual Defence Dialogue.
Singh said, “We are rapidly moving towards the design and development of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft. We have made numerous attempts in the past to achieve expertise in the field of aero engines. Now, the time has come to complete those efforts. We cannot limit ourselves to only fifth-generation engines. We must begin the development of the sixth generation with advanced technologies as soon as possible.”
The Union minister cited Operation Sindoor as evidence of the country’s growing reliance on indigenous defence technologies. “Whether it was communication systems, surveillance equipment, or attack weapons, everything was indigenous. This boosted the morale of our soldiers and instilled pride among citizens. In view of the evolving challenges, it is imperative to focus more on indigenous methods and provide our forces with world-class systems and equipment,” he said.
Singh also interacted with scientists at the GTRE and hailed its efforts towards bolstering national security through self-reliance. “Supply chains are breaking and new ecosystems are developing. Nations with indigenous critical technologies will remain safe, secure, and sustain themselves,” he said.
India, according to the minister, is one of the world’s fastest-growing civil aviation markets. He said that GTRE’s high-temperature composites could significantly benefit the civil aviation, power generation and space sectors in the future. Praising GTRE for its joint study with the UK for aero engine development, Singh said the process has been initiated with France, too, for aero engines under the National Aero Engine Mission.
INDIA-FRANCE DEFENCE DIALOGUE BEGINS TODAY
BENGALURU: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will co-chair the 6th India–France Annual Defence Dialogue in Bengaluru on Tuesday. During the event, he and France’s Minister of the Armed Forces and Veteran Affairs Catherine Vautrin will discuss bilateral defence cooperation between the two countries.
This is Vautrin’s first visit to India since she took over as France’s defence minister on October 12, 2025. The two countries are expected to renew the bilateral defence cooperation agreement for another decade, and the two ministers are likely to sign a memorandum of understanding on joint-manufacturing of Hammer missiles.
They are also slated to announce reciprocal deployment of officers at the Indian Army and the French Land Forces. “The recent India-EU Security and Defence Partnership marks a significant step in deepening collective engagement with European nations. Military-to-military cooperation is on an increase. India and France have been regularly carrying out three major exercises – Exercise Shakti with Army, Exercise Varuna with Navy and Exercise Garuda with Air Force,” a statement said.
Rajnath launches BEL’s missile integration facility
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the missile integration facility, Akash 3rd and 4th Regiment Combat Systems and the Mountain Fire Control Radar at Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) in Bengaluru on Monday. He also remotely inaugurated the Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence in Pune and launched the company’s AI Policy. He lauded BEL for its achievements in electronic warfare systems, avionics, naval platforms, electro-optics and tank electronics.
“BEL has strengthened network-centric operations. Its integrated systems, real-time data sharing and decision-support capabilities have taken our combat effectiveness to a new level,” he said. Singh inspected various research and development projects at BEL, including Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile Systems, Light Combat Aircraft Mark II, Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft, Project Kusha (MR SAM/LR SAM), Counter Drone Systems and Naval Weapon Control Systems. Indigenisation initiatives by various wings of BEL were also showcased. Singh urged the R&D team of BEL to collaborate with start-ups, industry, and academia for agile product development using the latest technologies in AI and autonomous systems.