Gen Singh made the complaints earlier in March in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that has been leaked.
Defence Minister AK Antony told parliament that the “government is committed to doing all that is necessary to secure the nation”.
It is the latest in a series of rows between the army and the government.
In his letter, Gen Singh said India’s air defence was “97% obsolete”, the army lacked the equipment it needed and its entire tank fleet was “devoid of critical ammunition to defeat enemy tanks”.
The infantry lacked “night fighting” capabilities and was crippled with “deficiencies of crew-served weapons”, the letter added.
The revelations dominated discussion in parliament on Wednesday with opposition MPs questioning the government over the issue.
In a short statement in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of parliament, Defence Minister Antony said the government would take “appropriate action” on the letter.
He said the government was committed to providing all that is necessary for maintaining the security of the country.