Defence Minister Rajnath Sigh
New Delhi: In a resounding assertion of India’s unyielding resolve against terrorism, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on May 11, 2025, hailed Operation Sindoor as a landmark demonstration of the nation’s political, social, and strategic willpower, delivering justice to families devastated by terror attacks on Indian soil.
Speaking virtually at the inauguration of the Rs 300-crore BrahMos Integration and Testing Facility Centre in Lucknow today, Singh declared that the operation obliterated terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), sparing innocent civilians, while Pakistan retaliated by targeting Indian civilian areas, including revered temples, gurudwaras, and churches. “Our Armed Forces, with unparalleled valour and restraint, struck multiple Pakistani military bases, their indignation reverberating as far as Rawalpindi, the nerve centre of Pakistan’s military headquarters,” he said.
The 200-acre BrahMos facility, launched on National Technology Day, marks a pivotal stride towards Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) in defence, generating approximately 500 direct and 1,000 indirect jobs, fostering industrialisation, and cementing Uttar Pradesh’s emergence as a global defence manufacturing hub.
Operation Sindoor, Singh emphasised, is part of India’s consistent response to terrorism, which builds on India’s legacy of decisive anti-terror actions—surgical strikes post-Uri, air strikes after Pulwama, and multiple strikes following the Pahalgam attack—proving that terrorists and their handlers find no sanctuary, even across borders.
“Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s unwavering zero-tolerance policy, New India acts with precision and power on both sides of the border,” he asserted, underscoring the operation’s message to the world: India will not tolerate threats to its sovereignty.
The BrahMos missile, among the world’s fastest supersonic cruise missiles, embodies this resolve, serving as a potent symbol of deterrence, a guarantor of border security, and a testament to the synergy of Indian and Russian defence technologies. Quoting former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam—“Unless India stands up to the world, no one will respect us. In this world, fear has no place, only strength respects strength”—Singh affirmed that the facility enhances India’s stature as a formidable global power.
Terming the BrahMOs facility as a matter of pride for the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC). Spanning integration of booster subassemblies, avionics, propellant, and ramjet engines, with design and administrative blocks planned, the complex will drive skill development for ITI students, supervisors, and engineers, reducing migration by creating sustainable local employment.
BrahMos Aerospace has selected 36 trainees for its operations, five of whom were felicitated by the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during the inauguration, symbolising the state’s commitment to nurturing talent. The facility, completed in 40 months, is expected to bolster the ancillary defence ecosystem, fostering a network of sub-assemblies and supporting industries.
Singh lauded the UPDIC’s transformative impact, noting that 180 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) worth Rs 34,000 crore have been signed, with Rs 4,000 crore already invested in cutting-edge projects spanning aircraft manufacturing, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), drones, ammunition, composite and critical materials, small arms, textiles, and parachutes. Both public and private sectors are driving this momentum, with PTC Industries pioneering titanium and super alloy plants in Lucknow, alongside seven additional critical projects that promise to accelerate India’s journey towards self-reliance in defence production. These initiatives align with the government’s “vision” of transforming Uttar Pradesh into a premier destination for defence manufacturing and exports, positioning the state as a linchpin in India’s global defence ambitions.
The BrahMos facility’s inauguration was attended by Deputy Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh, Secretary of the Department of Defence R&D and Defence Research and Development Organisaton Chairman Dr Samir V Kamat, Director General BrahMos Dr Jaiteerth R Joshi, public representatives, and senior officials from the central and state governments.
The BrahMos complex has an advanced infrastructure and focuses on cutting-edge technology. As Operation Sindoor reaffirms India’s uncompromising stance against terrorism, the BrahMos facility symbolises the nation’s forward march towards self-reliance, technological prowess, and economic empowerment, heralding a new era for Uttar Pradesh and India on the world stage.
– global bihari bureau
