Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh addressed the CII Business Summit on Thursday and said Operation Sindoor has given us a clear idea of where we are heading and what we need in the future. So a lot of work needs to be done in realigning our own thought processes also, which is already going on, he said, adding that whatever he has committed to do, he will do.
The Air Chief Marshal added that in Operation Sindoor, as it was told by the Chief of Naval Staff, the character of war is changing. "Every day, we are finding new technologies coming in. Operation Sindoor has given us a clear idea of where we are headed and what we need in the future. So a lot of work needs to be done in realigning our own thought processes also, which is already going on. In future also, we will be able to deliver the goods as a nation, and we will be able to achieve our objectives. AMCA – the advanced medium combat aircraft – has been cleared for even participation by private industry, which is a very big step, and that is the kind of confidence that the nation has in private industry today, and I'm sure this is going to pave the way to bigger things coming in the future," he said.
He said that whether it's a land power or naval power, the air force will always remain, and the air power will have to be interesting to both. "Any kind of operations that we do, we can't do it without air power, and I think that has been proved very well during this operation (Sindoor) also. We cannot just talk about producing in India. We need to start designing and developing in India also, and when it comes to producing in numbers, the capacity comes in. So we need to have this trust between the forces and the industry to continue," he said.
Addressing the CII Business Summit, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the people of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) are part of the Indian family and the day is not far when they will return to India's mainstream voluntarily.
Laying out India's policy approach towards Pakistan, Rajnath Singh said New Delhi has "redesigned and redefined" its strategy and response to terrorism and that possible dialogue with Islamabad will be only on terrorism and PoK.
In an address at the CII Business Summit, the defence minister largely attempted to reach out to people of PoK, saying India considers them to be part of its "own" family.
"I believe that the people of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir are our own, part of our family," he said.
"We have full faith that those of our brothers who are geographically and politically separated from us today will also return to the mainstream of India someday, listening to their voice of soul," he added.
Singh said most of the people in PoK feel a "deep connection" with India, and only a few of them have been "misled".
"India always talks about connecting hearts, and we believe that by walking on the path of love, unity and truth, the day is not far when our own part, PoK, will return and say, I am India; I have returned," he said.
In a clear message to Pakistan, Singh also said the business of terrorism is not cost-effective and it will come with a heavy price, as Islamabad has realised now.