Operation Sindoor, was carried out with great planning and confidence by the armed forces in just two weeks to target terrorist groups in Pakistan. However, the ability to execute such a big operation in a short time was built over several years, as a result of a lot of hard work, despite facing many challenges both within and from outside the country.

The key to Operation Sindoor's success was a major change in India’s defence system, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He moved the country from an old-style war model to a new method called non-contact warfare, where battles are fought without direct face-to-face fighting. This was different from earlier missions like the Uri surgical strike and the Balakot air attack, which used the traditional approach of sending armed forces on the ground to target and hunt down the terrorists.

Modi understood that the old war style would not work in the future, especially if India wanted to hit terrorist bases deep inside Pakistan. So, he changed the way India prepared for war. This new approach made Operation Sindoor a great success.

Despite all the military infrastructure and preparations, Operation Sindoor could not have been undertaken with the eventual ease without a cluster of supportive factors that dramatically transformed the geopolitical, economic, and strategic ecosystem in India’s favour under Modi’s 10-year rule. It was also aided by Pakistan's relative decline in the same period. Operation Sindoor was successful because of five powerful and advanced non-contact weapons. These high-tech systems allowed India to strike without sending soldiers on the ground or using traditional air attacks. The five main weapons were Rafale fighter jets, SCALP missiles, HAMMER missiles, Kamikaze loitering drones (developed with help from Israel), and BrahMos missiles.

All these weapons are non-contact and mostly work on their own after being launched. Once fired, they automatically find and destroy their targets. The Indian Air Force used Rafale jets to carry out the mission. These jets were equipped with powerful missile systems, SCALP and HAMMER, which made it possible to strike targets deep inside enemy territory with great accuracy.

SCALP missiles are smart and stealthy. They can quietly fly long distances and hit well-protected enemy locations like bunkers and command centres up to 500 km away.

HAMMER missiles are used to attack ground targets and are perfect for hitting even moving objects. During Operation Sindoor, HAMMER missiles were used alongside SCALP to boost their impact. The Kamikaze drones used in the mission are special drones controlled remotely. They are designed to crash into targets and explode, like a one-way mission. The final blow came from the powerful BrahMos missile, which used an Indian-made seeker to guide it straight to its target. This missile played a major role in destroying terrorist hideouts.

Further, the most critical air defence equipment which smashed the Pakistani drone and missile attacks from May 7 to 9 night after the deep Indian strike on the intervening night of May 6-7, was the Russian S-400 anti-missile defence system.

The Indian Government rafale jets and HAMMER missiles from France, SCALP missiles from England, Heron Mk2 drones and technology for HAROP drones from Israel, S-400 missile defence system from Russia, AH-64 Apache helicopters and AGM-114 Hellfire missiles from the United States. Apart from these, the government also secretly bought other important defence technologies and equipment.

The two items that the Modi government purchased against all odds and opposition were the Rafale fighters and the Russian S-400 missile defence system. And clearly, without the Rafale fighter jets, non-contact war under Operation Sindoor would have been unthinkable.

Prime Minister Modi had faced massive opposition when he decided to buy two of India’s most important defence assets, the Rafale fighter jets and the S-400 missile defence system. But these very decisions became the reason behind the huge success of Operation Sindoor and India's defence afterward.

The opposition, especially the Congress party, had strongly opposed the Rafale deal. They even accused the government of corruption and tried to stop the purchase. It almost seemed like a conspiracy against the BJP-led government. Notably, the Supreme Court stepped in and cleared the deal. Just before the 2019 elections, Modi took a big political risk by going ahead with the Rafale purchase. Today, those very Rafale jets have proved to be a game-changer for India. Without them, our military wouldn’t have been able to launch autonomous drones and missiles to destroy terror camps 250 km away, without even crossing the border. That’s exactly what non-contact warfare is all about.

While Rahul Gandhi tried to stop the Rafale deal, the United States tried to stop India from buying the S-400 systems from Russia. The US even threatened to impose sanctions on India. But despite pressure from then-US President Donald Trump, Modi stood firm and finalized the deal in 2018.

It was this S-400 defence system that helped India shoot down hundreds of Pakistani missiles and drones that were launched in response to India’s strike on terror camps. Had the Modi government buckled under Congress pressure before elections and not gone ahead with buying Rafale fighter jets, and had it succumbed to Trump’s threat and cancelled the order to buy S-400 anti-missile systems, India could never have thought of Op Sindoor.

Make in India efforts:

It is further important to note here that India has rapidly emerged as a major hub for defence manufacturing, propelled by the “Make in India” initiative and a strong emphasis on self-reliance. In the fiscal year 2023–24, the country achieved a record-breaking Rs 1.27 lakh crore in indigenous defence production. Exports also witnessed remarkable growth, reaching Rs 23,622 crore in FY 2024–25—a staggering 34-fold rise since 2013–14.

This transformation has been driven by strategic reforms, increased participation from the private sector, and robust investments in research and development. These efforts have led to the successful development of advanced military systems such as the Dhanush Artillery Gun, Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), Main Battle Tank Arjun, Light Specialist and High Mobility Vehicles, the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, Advanced and Light Utility Helicopters (ALH and LUH), Akash Missile System, Weapon Locating Radar, 3D Tactical Control Radar, and Software Defined Radio (SDR). In the maritime domain, India now produces indigenous destroyers, aircraft carriers, submarines, frigates, corvettes, fast patrol and attack craft, and offshore patrol vessels.

Government support has played a crucial role, including record-high procurement contracts, innovation initiatives like iDEX, the SRIJAN platform for indigenization, and the establishment of two Defence Industrial Corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Landmark acquisitions such as the LCH Prachand and approvals for ATAGS reflect the country’s shift toward homegrown capabilities.

Looking ahead, India is targeting Rs 3 lakh crore in domestic production and Rs 50,000 crore in exports by 2029, positioning itself as a self-reliant, globally competitive leader in defence manufacturing.

Originally based on Israeli technology, the Kamikaze drones were also successfully indigenised and introduced into India’s defence forces in April last year. Developed by the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), these homegrown drones marked a major breakthrough in India's defence technology sector. Equipped with domestically built engines, these "do-or-die" unmanned aerial vehicles are capable of flying up to 1,000 km and can loiter over target zones for as long as nine hours. The swadeshi Kamikaze drones were operationally deployed for the first time during Operation Sindoor, showcasing their strategic capabilities.