JAIPUR: Rajasthan once again emerged as a key centre of India’s military might as Jaipur marked the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor with a grand celebration on Thursday. With Defence Minister Rajnath Singh joining senior Army, Navy, and Air Force commanders at the South Western Command for the Joint Commanders’ Conference themed “Military Capability in a New Era,” the event highlighted Rajasthan’s growing strategic importance as a border state with Pakistan. In a striking assertion on this occasion, senior Army officials claimed that over 100 Pakistani soldiers were killed during Operation Sindoor last year.
Earlier in the day, senior military officials, Lieutenant General Zubin A. Minwalla, DGMO Rajiv Ghai, Air Marshal Avdhesh Kumar Bharti, and Vice Admiral A.N. Pramod addressed a joint press conference to mark the anniversary of Operation Sindoor on behalf of the Army, Air Force, and Navy. The senior stalwarts described the operation last year as a symbol of India’s evolving joint warfare capability.
Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy), said Operation Sindoor has become the “gold standard” globally. He stated that the Army, Air Force, Navy, and BSF jointly executed the operation through the coordinated use of land, air, and sea power.
According to the Army DGMO, India carried out nine precision strikes on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, including seven by the Army and two by the Air Force. Officials said real-time intelligence sharing, integrated operational systems, and multi-agency coordination caused extensive damage to terrorist infrastructure while ensuring the conflict did not escalate further.
Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai also claimed that India destroyed 13 Pakistani aircraft and 11 military bases during the operation. He said Operation Sindoor showcased India’s growing military self-reliance, with indigenous systems such as BrahMos and Akash missiles playing a major role. He added that nearly 65 per cent of India’s defence equipment is now manufactured domestically.
DGMO Ghai and other officials also asserted that more than 100 Pakistani soldiers and over 100 terrorists were killed in the targeted terror camps. They also claimed that Operation Sindoor had sent a clear message that no terrorist hideout in Pakistan is safe. This operation, the senior officials asserted was not the end, but the beginning and India will continue to fight against terrorism.
“After suffering heavy losses, the other side realised the consequences and sought a ceasefire. Once that request came, we halted operations. We stepped back, but it should not be seen as a sign of weakness,” Ghai said. He emphasised that “Operation Sindoor is not over yet; this is just the beginning.”
Deputy Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Avdhesh Kumar Bharti described Operation Sindoor as a decisive response to the April 22, 2025 Pahalgam terror attack. He said the strikes sent a clear message that India would respond firmly and precisely to every act of terrorism. According to him, the first strike carried out on May 7, 2025 targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, reflecting India’s strategic resolve.
Vice Admiral A.N. Pramod also highlighted concerns over China’s support to Pakistan, stating that assistance in space-based resources, intelligence sharing, cyber capabilities, and weapons systems is being factored into India’s military assessments and strategy.
DGMO Rajiv Ghai remarked that Pakistan and China share a relationship “deeper than the oceans and higher than the mountains,” adding that nearly 80 percent of Pakistan’s military equipment is of Chinese origin.
Referring to broader regional challenges, he said that even if India faces multiple adversaries such as Pakistan, China, and Turkey simultaneously, the armed forces assess and respond to them as part of the same strategic front, asserting that the situation is “not something to be overly concerned about.”
It is notable that from the Army Day Parade and Vayu Shakti-2026 air show till the Operation Sindoor commemorations now, Rajasthan is increasingly emerging as a hub for major defence events amid heightened India-Pakistan tensions.
