PM Modi Announces ‘Mission Sudarshan Chakra’ to Develop Aeriel Defence System

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in his Independence Day address on 15 August 2025 that India aims to develop a Indigenous Air defence system by 2035. This air defence system will be designed not only to defend against enemy attacks but also to strike back decisively. The initiative, unveiled on the eve of Krishna Janmasthmi, will be named ‘Sudarshan Chakra’ after Lord Krishna’s legendary weapon.

Vision & Objective

• Prime Minister Modi mentioned the moment when Lord Krishna blocked the sunlight with Sudarshan Chakra from reaching the Earth once to help Arjuna defeat Jayadratha. Today, “we must also protect our important institutions from emerging threats.”
• Prime Minister Modi declared that “every citizen should feel safe” and emphasized that this mission will be research-driven and entirely developed in India.
• This ambitious decade-long mission aims to: 
  • Secure India’s critical establishments using indigenous technology.
  • Makes a decisive step towards Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) and reduce dependency on foreign security system.
  • Integrate surveillance, cyber defence, and protection of defence and strategic infrastructure.
  • Enable India to foresee and neutralize threats proactively instead of merely responding to them.

Iron Dome All-Weather Air Defence System

• The air defence system named “Sudarshan Chakra” may be modeled on Israel’s Iron Dome all-weather air defence system, known as a highly effective missile shield.
• It is a short-range, surface-to-air air defence system that includes radar and Tamir interceptor missiles, which track and neutralize any rocket or missile targeted at Israeli assets.
• This advanced defence system has a 90 percent success rate and has so far foiled more than 2,000 Hamas attacks.

Call for Indigenous Jet Engine

• PM also announced that India will launch its first Made-in-India semiconductor chip by 2025 and is opening the nuclear sector to private companies, creating unprecedented opportunities in energy and technology.
• PM also hinted at New Delhi’s commitment to reducing dependence on foreign technologies for military platforms and called for the development of jet engines for India’s fighter aircraft domestically.
• About 35 years ago, India had launched a project to develop jet engines for indigenous aircraft. However, the Kaveri engine project has not yet been completed. ₹2,035 crore has already been spent on this project.
• This engine project was approved in 1989 by the Cabinet Committee on Security Affairs and was primarily launched for India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) program.