The Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari, also spoke about the sequence of events after the April 22 Pahalgam attack, in which 26 civilians were shot dead.

He said the targets were shortlisted on April 29 and the date and time of the strikes were decided on May 5. 

"It is very easy to start a war, but not easy enough to end it," Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari said at the NDTV Defence Summit.

"And that was an important consideration to keep in mind so that our forces were activated, they were deployed, and they were ready for any eventuality that would have come about," he said referring to Operation Sindoor.

At NDTV Defence Summit, Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari also showed the new videos of Operation Sindoor strikes.

#NDTVDefenceSummit2025 | Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari, Vice Chief of the Air Staff Shows New Videos Ofo #OperationSindoor Strikes pic.twitter.com/COkC9bTwHi

— NDTV (@ndtv) August 30, 2025

Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari, the Vice Chief of the Air Staff, has ripped into Pakistan for its continued support of cross-border terrorism, pointing to 'state funerals' for terrorists killed in Operation Sindoor.

At the NDTV Defence Summit, he showed a picture of a Pakistani politician and military leaders attending the funeral that was held in Muridke, which was one of the locations targeted by Indian forces in Operation Sindoor.

"A picture speaks more than a thousand words," Air Marshal Tiwari said.

Modern warfare is being shaped by data and the role of cognitive warriors, as seen during Operation Sindoor, will decide who wins in future warfare, Adani Defence and Aerospace CEO Ashish Rajvanshi said at the NDTV Defence Summit 2025.

"What we witnessed in Operation Sindoor is something which is a reflection of cognitive warfare, which all of us need to be absolutely aware of and be prepared for. What is cognitive warfare? It is the taming of artificial intelligence - man and machine coming together and working in a seamless direction for the same mission. This is as good as a warrior coming out of Avengers: Age of Ultron," Mr Rajvanshi said.

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh has said that they spent about Rs 1,60,000 crore in capital expenditure last year.

"81% of that was spent within the country, and that trend will continue," he said.

He said that their benchmark is that 75 per cent of their capital expenditure every year will be spent domestically.

"Even if we need to tie up with technology from abroad or bring in manufacturers, experts, and companies from abroad, it's very clear that they will have to invest and make in India in order to qualify for most of those orders," he added.

The first two of the 10 Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (Mark1A) will hopefully be delivered by September-end, Defence Secretary RK Singh said at NDTV's Defence Summit.

Tejas Mk-1A jets will replace the MiG-21s, which are set to retire from the Indian Air Force (IAF) in September.

Speaking at NDTV Defence Summit, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh has said that the Indian Navy has been at the "forefront of atmanirbharta'. 

Speaking at the NDTV Defence Summit 2025, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that there are "no permanent friends or enemies" -- only permanent interests. Mr Singh's remarks came against the backdrop of tariff tensions with the US.

India's warships will be made in India, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said Saturday at NDTV's Defence Summit, underlining a renewed push towards an 'aatmanirbhar Bharat' to boost the country's military profile and might amid global challenges.

"Operation Sindoor may seem like just a few days' war, and a story of India's victory and Pakistan's defeat, but behind it lay years of strategic preparation and a long role of defense preparedness," Mr Singh said. 

"Just as an athlete achieves victory in a race in a few seconds, but behind it is months, years of hard work, in the same way, our forces, with their years of preparation, hard work, and indigenous equipment, carried out effective action on chosen targets," he said.

The Indian armed forces launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 after finding cross-border links to the April 22 Pahalgam attack. They struck multiple terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), killing over 100 terrorists.

Pakistan then launched a massive missile and drone attack, which was intercepted by Indian forces. In retaliation, India struck airfields in Pakistan. A ceasefire was announced on May 10.

Rajnath Singh has said that everyone witnessed the demonstration of India's defence capabilities and preparedness during Operation Sindoor, which was launched on May 7 to avenge the deadly Pahalgam attack.

"The way our forces, with their indigenous equipment, carried out precise strikes on their targets shows that no mission can succeed without a vision, long-term preparation, and coordination," he said.

Rajnath Singh has said the Modi government has taken defence exports to "new heights". 

"In 2014, our defence export was less than Rs 700 crore. Today it has increased to nearly Rs 24,000 crore, reaching a record level. This shows that India is no longer just a buyer, but is becoming an exporter," Mr Singh said at the NDTV Defence Summit.

"We all study in geography that the more pressure is applied, the stronger the rock becomes. I feel that the more pressure is put on India, the more it will emerge as a strong rock," Mr Singh said.

In an apparent reference to tariffs imposed on Indian goods by Mr Trump, he said "India's policy, strategy, and self-reliance" will remain steadfast and stable "despite any global pressure".

Amid US President Donald Trump's tariff tensions, Rajnath Singh has said the interest of Indian citizens is "paramount" to the Modi government.
"India does not consider anyone its enemy. But for us, the interest of our people, our farmers, our small traders is paramount. We cannot compromise on our country's welfare at any cost. No matter how much pressure is exerted, India will continue to give the highest priority to the interests of its farmers, small businessmen, shopkeepers, livestock keepers, and common citizens," he said at NDTV Defence Summit.

Rajnath Singh has said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has "always believed that it is only through Atmanirbhar Bharat that we can strengthen our strategic autonomy". 

"This very approach will keep us secure in the times to come and also secure us a leading position among the world's emerging powers," he said.

Rajnath Singh has said that 'atmanirbharta' (self-reliance) is essential for India's economy and security.

"Today's shifting geopolitics has also made it clear that external dependency in the field of Defence is no longer an option for us. In the current situation, self-reliance is essential for both our economy and our security," he said at the NDTV Defence Summit.

Rajnath Singh has said the world today is "changing so rapidly that new challenges are emerging before us every day".

"Be it pandemics, terrorism, or regional conflicts, this century has proven to be the most unstable and challenging on every front so far. In such circumstances, if we talk about today's strategic requirements, it becomes clear that atmanirbharta (self-reliance) is not an option in today's time; self-reliance is not just an advantage but has become a necessity," he said.

"Earlier, we used to see it as a privilege, but today it is a condition for survival and progress," Mr Singh said.

Rajnath Singh has said NDTV's Defence Summit couldn't have been organised at a better time, referring to India's recent success in Operation Sindoor.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh starts his keynote address at NDTV Defence Summit 2025.

#NDTVDefenceSummit2025 | 30 minutes to go, stay tuned for power packed discussions on defence all day only on NDTV Network pic.twitter.com/Z6xhzBbw1V

— NDTV (@ndtv) August 30, 2025

The NDTV Defence Summit 2025, the biggest media event on defence, is set to bring together top voices from the armed forces, government, and industry to discuss India's evolving security landscape, military preparedness, and the future of warfare.

#NDTVDefenceSummit2025 | 45 minutes to go for the biggest summit in media on defence! @vishnundtv pic.twitter.com/XgT3wfFrTS

— NDTV (@ndtv) August 30, 2025

Get ready for an in-depth look at what lies ahead at the NDTV Defence Summit. 

Coming soon on NDTV Network | @ShivAroor breaks down what to expect from #NDTVDefenceSummit2025! Stay tuned pic.twitter.com/dcz5moyPkQ

— NDTV (@ndtv) August 30, 2025

Watch the NDTV Defence Summit live today at 10:00 am on YouTube. The event will bring together top defence officials and leaders from major defence firms like Boeing and L&T. Key speakers include Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and senior officers from the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The summit will focus on modern warfare, Operation Sindoor, and how India is preparing for future security challenges.

The NDTV Defence Summit will also see industry leaders speaking at the event. Key speakers include MD of Boeing Defence India Nikhil Joshi, CEO of Adani Defence & Aerospace Ashish Rajvanshi, Senior Vice President of L&T Precision Engineering & Systems Arun T Ramchandani, MD and CEO of Tata Communications Limited A S Lakshminarayanan, Former MD & CEO BrahMos Aerospace & Outstanding Scientist of DRDO (Retd.) Atul Dinkar Rane and others.

The NDTV Defence Summit 2025 brings together India's top defence leadership under one roof. 

The key speakers include Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, Chief of Navy Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Vice Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari, Former Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande, Former Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, Former Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Arun Prakash and others.

India's defence strategy is not just changing, it's entering a whole new phase. NDTV Defence Summit 2025 brings together sharp minds, bold ideas, and important discussions about the modern warfare. 

This one-day event brings together leaders from the military, government, and industry to talk about India's strong military response in Operation Sindoor, which was launched on May 7 after the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22.

On April 22, Pakistan-backed attackers killed 26 people in Pahalgam. In response, Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor, hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Altogether, nine sites were targeted by Indian Armed Forces.

NDTV returns with its annual event - the Defence Summit - bringing the spotlight this year on "Warfare in the 21st Century." The high-level conclave will open with an address by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, with critical discussions on India's military strategy and modern warfare.