Modi's Iron Shield: The Vision Behind Bharat's Ballistic Missile Defence
Pakistan continues to view India as an existential threat and is expanding its nuclear arsenal accordingly, whilst simultaneously deepening its military relationship with China.
When Pakistan's waves of missiles and drones crashed against India's multi-layered air defence systems during those crucial nights in May, they were met with India's air defence network, which comprehensively neutralised the targets. With its resounding success, India demonstrated to the world not merely our tactical prowess, but the transformation that has unfolded under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.
Pakistan's drones and missiles shattered against a vision that has redefined how India approaches national security in an increasingly volatile neighbourhood. The operation marked a watershed moment: the successful test of an indigenous ballistic missile defence ecosystem that has taken India decisively beyond outdated Cold War nuclear doctrines of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) toward a more secure and responsible future.
For decades, strategic thinking regarding Nuclear armaments and use was dominated by the Cold War logic of MAD. As a nation committed to a No First Use nuclear policy, India must, by definition, be prepared to absorb a first strike before retaliating. However, the hostile environment that India confronts today is markedly more complex and dangerous than at any point since independence. Pakistan continues to view India as an existential threat and is expanding its nuclear arsenal accordingly, whilst simultaneously deepening its military relationship with China.
The United States Defence Intelligence Agency's 2025 assessment reveals that Pakistan is modernising its nuclear capabilities with substantial Chinese assistance, particularly focusing on battlefield nuclear weapons designed to offset India's conventional military superiority.
During the recent crisis, Pakistan's ambassador to Russia explicitly threatened the use of 'the full spectrum of power, both conventional and nuclear" in response to any Indian military action. Such nuclear blackmail represents precisely the kind of coercive diplomacy that ballistic missile defence systems are designed to neutralise. The very fact that Pakistan felt compelled to convene its National Command Authority—which oversees the country's nuclear arsenal—during the crisis demonstrates how atomic weapons remain central to Islamabad's strategic calculus.
China's role as the primary enabler of Pakistan's weapons of mass destruction programmes adds another layer of complexity. Foreign materials and technology supporting Pakistan's WMD capabilities are acquired primarily from Chinese suppliers, often transshipped through intermediaries. This creates a dangerous convergence where Pakistan's tactical nuclear weapons, enabled by Chinese technology, pose an immediate threat to India's security infrastructure.
The China Factor
The relationship between China and India has evolved from mere border disputes to a comprehensive rivalry encompassing nuclear capabilities. China's nuclear modernisation programme, whilst ostensibly directed at the United States, poses a direct threat to India given the geographical intimacy of the subcontinent. The majority of Chinese nuclear-capable missiles cannot reach the American mainland but could easily strike Indian population centres.
China's ballistic missile defence capabilities add urgency to India's programme. The People's Republic of China has developed advanced systems, including the HQ-19 and HQ-29, which significantly enhance the People's Liberation Army's capabilities to protect Chinese critical infrastructure. China's BMD capabilities serve as a strong defensive shield against nuclear-armed missile attacks, potentially neutralising India's deterrent capability.
This creates a dangerous imbalance, giving China a significant damage-limitation capability and lowering the threshold for nuclear adventurism. In the 21st century, true deterrence requires not just the promise of punishment but the capacity for survival.
The triangular nuclear dynamic between China, India, and Pakistan arguably poses a more serious threat of nuclear conflict than any other regional arrangement globally. South Asia remains the only place in the world where three nuclear-armed nations sit in such proximity and are bound by violently contested borders.
Operation Sindoor: Where Atmanirbhar Bharat Won
Operation Sindoor served as a comprehensive validation of India's defence indigenisation policies under the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision. The operation demonstrated how indigenous systems performed under actual combat conditions, providing real-world proof of concept for India's ballistic missile defence ecosystem. The multi-layered air defence system that protected India during the crisis consisted of several indigenous components.
During the onslaught, a unified grid directed a tiered defence: the inner layer, comprising Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) and Man-Portable Air Defence Systems (MANPADS), neutralised low-flying drones. The next layer of short-range missiles like the Spyder and Pechora provided point defence for critical assets, while the medium-range, indigenously developed Akash and Indo-Israeli MRSAM systems formed the backbone of area defence. The outermost layer, consisting of the formidable S-400 'Sudarshan' system and combat air patrols by fighter jets, engaged threats at long range.
The operation showcased the maturity of India's indigenous defence ecosystem. The Akashteer air defence system, developed by Bharat Electronics Limited and integrated with IACCS, provided seamless and unified air situation awareness accessible to the lowest units of the Army Air Defence.
The successful deployment of loitering munitions and precision strike capabilities demonstrated India's advancement in offensive systems as well. Indigenous platforms executed strikes without loss of Indian assets, underscoring the effectiveness of surveillance, planning, and delivery systems developed under the Make in India initiative.
DRDO's Ballistic Missile Defence Programme:
India's Ballistic Missile Defence programme represents one of the most ambitious technological undertakings in the country's defence history. The programme, sanctioned in 2000 following the Kargil conflict, has evolved through systematic phases designed to address increasingly sophisticated threats.
Phase I of the BMD programme is now complete and has been successfully deployed. This phase includes the Prithvi Air Defence (PAD) missile for exo-atmospheric interception and the Advanced Air Defence (AAD) missile for endo-atmospheric ranges. The system demonstrates the capability to intercept ballistic missiles with ranges up to 2,000 kilometres, providing robust protection against medium-range threats.
The recent successful testing of Phase II represents a quantum leap in capabilities. On July 24, 2024, DRDO successfully flight-tested the Phase-II Ballistic Missile Defence System, demonstrating indigenous capability to defend against ballistic missiles of the 5,000-kilometre class.
This achievement places India in an exclusive club of nations with advanced BMD capabilities. The two-stage solid-propelled ground-launched system incorporates state-of-the-art indigenous technologies developed by DRDO.
The Revolution In Defence Production
The transformation of India's defence sector under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative has been nothing short of revolutionary. Defence production has surged 174% since 2014, reaching Rs 1.27 lakh crore in 2023-24. Defence exports provide compelling evidence of this transformation. From Rs 1,940 crore in 2014-15, exports soared to Rs 23,622 crore in 2024-25. The country now exports defence equipment to over 85 countries, including sophisticated markets like the United States and France.
The establishment of Defence Industrial Corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu has created concentrated centres of excellence for defence manufacturing. The implementation of Positive Indigenisation Lists has provided guaranteed markets for domestic manufacturers, encouraging investment in research and development. Over 14,000 items have been indigenised under the SRIJAN initiative, with an additional 3,000 items covered under the Positive Indigenisation Lists. The Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy aims to achieve Rs 1.75 lakh crore in defence manufacturing by 2025, demonstrating the government's commitment to scaling indigenous capabilities.
In addition, the success of Atmanirbhar Bharat in developing critical defence technologies validates the potential for technological sovereignty in an increasingly multipolar world. This achievement encourages other developing nations, especially in the Global South, to invest in indigenous capabilities rather than accepting permanent dependence on foreign suppliers.
Deterrence Through Defence
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As Prime Minister Modi declared following Operation Sindoor, 'India will not be intimidated by nuclear threats". And the evolution and progress of India's defence system under his leadership show that India is ready to deliver on it. The psychological impact of effective missile defence is clear. Pakistan's reliance on nuclear blackmail as a tool of statecraft becomes significantly less effective when India possesses credible defensive capabilities. The knowledge that India can neutralise a significant portion of incoming threats alters the strategic calculus that Pakistan or even China must consider.
As India moves toward complete defence autonomy by 2047, the ballistic missile defence programme stands as a testament to what can be achieved when visionary leadership, technological capability, and national will converge in service of a secure and prosperous future. The iron shield that protects Bharat today is the delivery of Modi's promise to the citizens and is the foundation for India's emergence as a responsible global power.
About the Author
Sohil Sinha
Sohil Sinha is a Sub Editor at News18. He writes on foreign affairs, geopolitics along with domestic policy and infrastructure projects.
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July 20, 2025, 10:15 IST
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