HYDERABAD: Asserting that India will never compromise whenever its pride and dignity are at stake, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said that the country can cross any border when necessary to protect its citizens and safeguard unity and integrity.
“In responding to the Pahalgam terror attack, we did not ask the religion of the terrorists; we targeted terror, not civilians or military establishments,” he told the gathering at a business and entrepreneurship conclave organised by the Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO) Hyderabad Chapter.
The three-day event was inaugurated by Rajnath Singh and Kishan Reddy, along with Telangana Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu.
Self-reliant, India fast becoming a manufacturing hub, says Rajnath
Rajnath Singh said India’s path to Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) was changing the nation into a manufacturing hub. Earlier, much was imported, but “today we manufacture everything from toys to tanks.” In defence, platforms such as Tejas fighter jets, Akash missiles and Arjun tanks are being supplied to the armed forces. Recently, the Union government signed a deal with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to procure 97 Light Combat Aircraft, with over 64% indigenous content.
India’s defence exports, valued at about Rs 600 crore in 2014, have now risen to over Rs 24,000 crore and are projected to reach Rs 50,000 crore by 2029, he said.
On the economy, Rajnath Singh noted that India is currently the fourth-largest economy. With a projected GDP of $7.3 trillion by 2030, it is expected to become the third-largest. Quoting IMF data, he said India could emerge as the world’s second-largest economy by 2038 in terms of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP).
Recalling the 2016 surgical strikes, the 2019 Balakot airstrikes and Operation Sindoor in 2025, Rajnath Singh said India’s responses had always upheld national pride.
Commending the Jain community, he recalled personalities such as Dr Vikram Sarabhai, Dr DS Kothari, Dr Jagdish Chandra Jain and Dr Meenakshi Jain. “Whether in pharma, aviation or education, Jains are leading because of their disciplined and value-based life,” he said.
Though constituting just 0.5% of the population, Jains contribute around 24% of the country’s tax revenue, Rajnath Singh said. He noted Union government measures to preserve Jain heritage, including the repatriation of over 20 stolen idols of Tirthankaras and the recognition of Prakrit, the language of Jain scriptures, as a Classical Language.
The defence minister urged citizens to draw inspiration from Lord Mahavira’s teachings of non-violence, truth and Aparigraha (non-possessiveness) as India aims to become a developed nation by 2047. India’s military and economic rise, he added, is intended not to assert dominance but to protect cultural values and spiritual traditions.
Sridhar Babu said industrialists were increasingly guided by ethics, inclusivity and sustainability rather than incentives or subsidies.
“Telangana is not waiting for the future; it is building it. The state has become a hub of opportunities with a strong policy framework, robust infrastructure and investor-friendly governance,” he said. He invited business leaders to explore Telangana before finalising investments elsewhere, adding that the state’s ecosystem of innovation and efficient administration would “speak for itself.”
Sridhar Babu said combining the Jain community’s spirit of Seva (service) with Telangana’s innovation could create a model of ethical and value-driven growth. “The real unicorn is not a company valued at a billion dollars, but one that touches the lives of a billion people,” he remarked, urging entrepreneurs to focus on socially meaningful innovation.
The event was attended by Yoga guru Baba Ramdev, BJP state president Ramchander Rao and JITO representatives Rohit Kothari, Lalit Chopra, Vishal Anchalia, BL Bhandari and Sushil, among others.