Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on Friday said that there is a need to increase capabilities to deal with new threats emerging from space, cyber world and high seas. Addressing top commanders of Army, Air Force and Navy in New Delhi , Dr. Singh said, commanders must reorient their mindsets and define a long-term integrated perspective that aligns these capabilities with envisaged outcomes. He said, synergies across services need to be developed to deal with growing complexities.

Dr Singh said, the security challenges including cross-border terrorism, transnational crimes and drug-trafficking are diverse and serious. He emphasised the need to work hard to improve internal security, ensure communal harmony, control terrorism, insurgency and left-wing extremism.

The Prime Minister said, defence material acquisition processes and procedures must stay abreast of global best practices. He said the defence public sector undertakings and ordnance factories need to do more in absorbing technology and building capabilities.

He said the contribution of private sector to the defence industrial base must be leveraged in the nation's interest. Dr Singh said without this, the users' levels of dissatisfaction due to time and overruns and technological obsolescence are bound to grow.

Emphasising friendly and cooperative ties with neighbouring countries, the Prime Minister said, the country cannot develop and grow peacefully while its immediate neighbours struggle with poverty, tension and underdevelopment. He said the government will focus on establishing greater connectivity in South Asia and expanded neighbourhood to promote movement of goods, services, technology and investment so that the country acts as a motor of growth in the region.

Dr Singh said special attention needs to be given to infrastructure sectors to create conducive environment for increased investment and saving rates. Dr Singh called for protecting growing exports flowing into foreign destinations from threats like piracy.