India is continuously scaling new heights in defence production, defence exports and political cooperation with friendly nations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday (July 26, 2026) in the latest episode of Mann Ki Baat, his monthly radio address. Paying tribute to the martyrs on Kargil Vijay Diwas, Mr. Modi said that, alongside the courage of its soldiers, India was continuously strengthening its technological capabilities.
Citing the induction of INS Mahendragiri into the Indian Navy, he said the modern warship had been designed and built in India. More than 75% of the materials used in it are indigenous. “It is a symbol of the growing strength of an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. This very month, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) also successfully tested the Pinaka Long-Range Guided Rocket. Behind this success lies the collective perseverance of our scientists and engineers. Only two-three days ago, the DRDO also successfully tested the Kusha missile,” the Prime Minister said.
He added, “Whether it is defence production, defence exports, or political cooperation with friendly nations, India is continuously scaling new heights. Earlier this month, I was in Indonesia, where a major agreement regarding BrahMos and Astra missiles was concluded. Global confidence in India’s defence equipment and technology is growing.”
Wishing the Indian contingent the very best for the Commonwealth Games, which began in Glasgow a few days ago, Mr. Modi said people across the country hoped that the players and athletes would perform exceptionally well and make the nation proud.
“Our youth have achieved remarkable feats in sports recently. P.V. Sindhu has become the first Indian to win the Japan Open title in badminton; the entire nation is proud of this achievement of hers,” he said.
He added that the Indian women’s cricket team had also won its first-ever Test match at Lord’s in London. “This is a historic victory; our team won the match by a massive margin of 270 runs. But that is not all. In the long history of Lord’s, this was the first Test match played by a women’s team. It was on this very ground that India won her first Cricket World Cup in 1983. Now, our ‘Nari Shakti’ has brought glory to the nation there,” he said.
The Prime Minister said “our young friends” were also bringing glory to India in the field of science.
“Olympiads in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics were held just this month. The Indian contingent delivered a spectacular performance in these competitions. In the Physics Olympiad, all five of our students won gold medals, and India secured the top rank,” he said.
“In the Chemistry Olympiad, too, all our students won gold medals. This has been our best performance so far. All our students also won medals in the Biology Olympiad, including a gold medal. On the other hand, in the Mathematics Olympiad, our students secured two gold and four silver medals. I am immensely proud of the nation’s youth power. It is heartening to see the culture of Olympiads and Hackathons steadily growing in India. I am confident that more and more young people across the country will show interest in such forums and keep the flag of India flying high,” the Prime Minister said.
Published - July 26, 2026 12:20 pm IST