Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on January 31 praised the indigenous Project Kusha air defence system as a transformative development for India’s security, likening its protective role to the legendary Govardhan Hill.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Advanced Weapon System Complex at the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) in Hyderabad, Singh stated, “Today I predict that the Project Kusha will be a game changer for India’s security scenario”.
Project Kusha is a long-range Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) defence system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The Defence Minister noted that the system demonstrated its effectiveness during “Operation Sindoor,” a tri-service military campaign in 2025 launched in response to a terror attack in Pahalgam.
He said, “It is a world-class indigenous air defence system, which has proved its importance during Operation Sindoor.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on January 31 praised the indigenous Project Kusha air defence system as a transformative development for India’s security, likening its protective role to the legendary Govardhan Hill.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Advanced Weapon System Complex at the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) in Hyderabad, Singh stated, “Today I predict that the Project Kusha will be a game changer for India’s security scenario”.
Project Kusha is a long-range Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) defence system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It is designed to compete with Russia’s S-400 system and features three interceptor variants with ranges of 150 km, 250 km, and 400 km, intended to defend against stealth aircraft, drones, and hypersonic weapons. Operational deployment is expected between 2028 and 2030.
The Defence Minister noted that the system demonstrated its effectiveness during “Operation Sindoor,” a tri-service military campaign in 2025 launched in response to a terror attack in Pahalgam. He said, “It is a world-class indigenous air defence system, which has proved its importance during Operation Sindoor. No further proof is needed… Just as the Govardhan hill protected the entire region of Braj in the Dvapara Yuga, our air defence system provided a protective umbrella for the entire region during that period.”
Singh emphasised that Project Kusha offers multi-layered protection against a wide range of threats, including stealth aircraft, drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic weapons.
The Defence Minister highlighted the extensive transformation underway in India’s defence sector, observing, “DRDO laboratories, defence public sector undertakings, private industries, startups, MSMEs, and academia are working together with greater integration than ever before… It is evident that this collaborative model will accelerate India’s journey from innovation to production, and from production to operational capability; this is my firm belief. The government has placed immense trust in DRDO for the development of indigenous defence technology.”
Discussing global security challenges, Singh stated, “The world is going through instability and turmoil, where there is conflict in some places, instability in others, and in some, the situation of outright war is emerging. The international order is passing through a phase of tension and change. Old assumptions are breaking down, and new alliances and new challenges are taking shape.”
He added, “In this environment, if a nation wants to safeguard its security and interests, then it needs to have two things: one is resilience, which means to have the capability to absorb any shock and stand up and the other is deterrence, which means the ability to put fear in any potential aggressor that if he looks at us with the wrong intentions, that it would have to pay heavily.”
The Defence Minister further noted the rapid transformation of global warfare, driven by artificial intelligence, electronic warfare, and advanced sensors. He said, “In times of global turmoil, programs like ‘Kusha’ and institutions like DRDL instil confidence in the nation’s people, assuring them that we will neither bow before external instability nor allow any shortcomings in our preparedness.”
Earlier on the same day, Rajnath Singh met prominent figures in Hyderabad, including Indian badminton player Srikanth Kidambi, professional shooter Esha Singh, and actors Teja Sajja and Adivi Sesh, at Jubilee Hills.
