Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday unveiled a project to develop an indigenous air-defence system designed to safeguard India’s vital military and civilian installations while delivering a decisive response to enemy threats. The announcement came amid growing security concerns from Pakistan and China.
Speaking from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Independence Day, Modi also reiterated India’s resolve to reduce dependence on foreign military technologies, calling for the development of home-grown jet engines for the country’s fighter aircraft.
Though the prime minister did not elaborate on the system, named “Sudarshan Chakra,” experts suggested it could resemble Israel’s Iron Dome — an advanced all-weather missile shield.
Announcing the launch of Mission Sudarshan Chakra, Modi said it would neutralise enemy threats while enhancing India’s offensive capabilities. He linked the mission to Lord Krishna’s Sudarshan Chakra, underscoring how India’s cultural and mythological heritage continues to inspire modern defence innovations.
The mission, he added, symbolises India’s commitment to strategic autonomy by ensuring rapid, precise and powerful responses to any threat.
Modi also urged young innovators to focus on developing indigenous jet engines, stressing the importance of self-reliance in defence technology. His remarks assume significance as negotiations between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and US-based GE Aerospace for a joint jet engine project have faced delays, with GE missing supply deadlines that slowed HAL’s delivery of Tejas combat jets.
India’s attempts to build a domestic jet engine date back more than three decades. The Cabinet Committee on Security approved the Kaveri engine project in 1989 for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme, but despite spending over Rs 2,000 crore, it remains incomplete.
The prime minister also praised Operation Sindoor, launched after the April 22 Pahalgam attack to strike terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. He said the mission reflected India’s ability to act independently using Made-in-India weapons, showing that national security cannot depend on foreign suppliers.