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Rajnath Singh warns of white-collar terrorism and lone-wolf attacks at Defence Conclave

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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh warned on 15 October 2026 that white-collar terrorism and lone-wolf attacks are making it harder for security agencies to spot radicalised people before they strike. He was speaking at the Times Network National Defence Conclave in New Delhi, where he also said any further terror attack from Pakistan would draw an even stronger response from India.

white-collar terrorism: Rajnath Singh addresses the National Defence Conclave in New Delhi
Rajnath Singh addresses the National Defence Conclave in New Delhi Photo: PIB (Government of India, free to use with credit).

Lone-wolf attacks and white-collar terrorism

Singh said terrorism is no longer limited to organised groups. He described a ‘5D security threat’ of disinformation, destabilisation, disruption, deception and destruction in an age of hybrid and high-tech warfare. As an example of the new danger, he pointed to a recent case in which a co-pilot allegedly tried to crash a passenger aircraft, and praised Captain Smit Machhar, who risked his life to stop it. According to the Defence Ministry’s release, he said one alert and brave person can foil an entire plot, so the fight against terror needs aware citizens as well as strong agencies. His speech text on his official website carries the same warning.

Key Facts

  • Event: Times Network National Defence Conclave, New Delhi, 15 Oct 2026
  • New threats named: lone-wolf attacks, white-collar terrorism
  • Defence production: over Rs 1.78 lakh crore (Rs 40,000 crore in 2014)
  • Defence exports: Rs 39,000 crore (Rs 686 crore in 2013-14)
  • Ammunition made in India: 159 of 175 types

“Our commitment to peace remains steadfast, yet we are fully prepared to confront any challenge.”

— Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister, as quoted by PIB

Operation Sindoor and the message to Pakistan

The minister called Operation Sindoor, the Balakot airstrikes and the surgical strikes a decisive shift from diplomatic condemnation to action at the source of terror. He said India prefers dialogue and peace, but that this should not be mistaken for weakness. He also said that since 2014 the ‘shelf life’ of most terrorists has fallen to less than a year, because security forces neutralise them within a year of taking up arms. Times Now and the PIB both reported this claim. Singh called for ‘smart power’ that mixes precision weapons and loitering munitions with low-cost systems, and human intelligence with artificial intelligence.

Defence exports and the indigenisation push

On the defence industry, Singh said production has risen to a record of over Rs 1.78 lakh crore, up from Rs 40,000 crore in 2014. Defence exports have reached an all-time high of Rs 39,000 crore, against Rs 686 crore in 2013-14, and Indian products now go to nearly 100 countries. He said 75 per cent of the modernisation budget is reserved for Indian industry, and 159 of the 175 ammunition types used by the forces are now made in India. The targets he set are Rs 2 lakh crore of production this year, and Rs 3 lakh crore of production and Rs 50,000 crore of exports by 2029. He said more than 500 companies now work in defence manufacturing. As of March 2026, the iDEX scheme had engaged 676 start-ups and innovators and helped sign 551 contracts, and the number of defence start-ups has grown from a few dozen in 2018 to more than 2,000.

Why It Matters: White-collar terrorism comes from people inside trusted jobs, so stopping it depends on alert colleagues and citizens as much as on police and intelligence agencies.

Also on TrendDesh: India Czech defence cooperation to expand as Rajnath Singh meets Czech deputy PM Karel Havlicek · Combined Task Force 154: Indian Navy ends its first CMF command in Bahrain after 7,800 training hours

Source: PIB (Ministry of Defence) · Rajnath Singh official website · Times Now

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