Opinion | India's Defence Diplomacy Has A New Roadmap: What RAKSHA Means For Next Decade

The defence ministry called defence diplomacy "a core pillar of India's foreign policy" and said the document gives a clear, actionable vision for the coming decade

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India now has a written plan for how it conducts defence diplomacy. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh released the document, called ‘RAKSHA’, at Kartavya Bhawan in New Delhi on September 3. It covers the next 10 years. Until now, most of India’s defence engagement abroad has happened deal by deal and visit by visit. RAKSHA puts partnerships, arms exports, training of foreign militaries and maritime security into one plan.

The defence ministry called defence diplomacy “a core pillar of India’s foreign policy" and said the document gives a clear, actionable vision for the coming decade.

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From Engagements to a Framework

Until now, India’s defence diplomacy has largely moved through separate tracks. Exercises were planned service by service. Training slots for foreign officers, defence agreements, lines of credit and export deals were usually negotiated country by country, often around a ministerial or prime ministerial visit.

RAKSHA attempts to place these tracks under one longer-term framework. The ministry described the document as a shift towards more proactive strategic engagement that aligns national security objectives with global cooperation.

The plan runs for 10 years, longer than the term of any one........

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