India does not want war or others’ territory: Rajnath Singh

India does not want war or to occupy the territory of another country, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday, while warning that New Delhi would not compromise on national security and was prepared to strike terrorists if a neighbouring country continued to support terrorism.

Speaking at the NDTV Defence Summit 2026, Singh said India believed in peace and did not want to threaten any country.

“India believes in peace, does not want war. India does not want to take over another land, does not want to threaten anyone. But there is a difference between silence and weakness,” he said.

He said India wanted peace but would not compromise on its security.

“As long as our neighbouring country propagates terrorism, we will be ready for any strikes against terrorists,” Singh said, adding that India wanted to convey the message to both the neighbouring country and the world.

According to NDTV, Singh was referring to Pakistan when he mentioned a neighbouring country. India has long accused Pakistan of harbouring terror networks responsible for attacks in India, a claim Pakistan has rejected.

Singh also said India believed in dialogue but that dialogue would end if a country propagated terrorism.

“India wants cooperation but not at the cost of national interest,” he said.

The remarks came at the NDTV Defence Summit 2026, a one-day event bringing together senior defence officials, military officers and defence industry leaders to discuss India’s defence capabilities.

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