India, Sept. 12 -- Amid a rapidly shifting global order marked by rising populism and protectionism, defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh has called for a robust augmentation of India's hard power capabilities to complement its soft power strength. Speaking at the inaugural session of the STRIDE 2025 seminar in Pune on Friday, Singh stressed the need for a transformative push in India's defence preparedness through technology, innovation and public-private collaboration.

The seminar, organised by the Southern Command at the army mess in Khadki, brought together senior military leaders, veterans, defence officials, industry representatives, and academicians under the theme, 'Atmanirbharta through Partnership - Industry, Academia, Armed Fo...