Bengaluru, Jun 16: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh emphasized on Friday that India’s defence industry is actively meeting the security requirements of friendly nations, regardless of ideology. He made these remarks while chairing a meeting of the Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on ‘Self-reliance in Defence Manufacturing’ in Bengaluru.
During the meeting, members of the committee from both houses of Parliament were briefed on the MoD’s initiatives and progress in achieving self-reliance in defence manufacturing, as well as the government’s continuous efforts to enhance national security and equip the Armed Forces with advanced technology.
Singh highlighted the significance of “demand assurance” in attaining self-reliance and outlined several decisions taken to accomplish this objective. These decisions include consistent growth in the defence budget, increased allocation for domestic industry in defence capital procurement, and the formulation of positive indigenisation lists.
The Defence Minister underscored that these government measures are yielding positive outcomes, enabling the country to manufacture submarines, fighter jets, helicopters, and weapons indigenously. He further mentioned that the expanding defence industry not only caters to domestic requirements but also fulfills the security needs of friendly nations.
Singh cited the noteworthy achievement of crossing Rs one lakh crore in defence production and Rs 16,000 crore in exports in the previous fiscal year as evidence of the sector’s progress and India’s trajectory towards self-reliance.
Expressing his appreciation for the consensus among various stakeholders in striving for complete self-reliance, the Minister emphasized the importance of unity and prioritizing the nation’s interests to transform India into a defence exporter. He reiterated the vision of an ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-reliant India) and acknowledged the valuable suggestions provided by committee members, assuring that efforts would be made to incorporate them.
The meeting was attended by Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane, Secretary (Ex-Servicemen Welfare) Vijoy Kumar Singh, and Secretary of the Department of Defence R&D and Chairman of DRDO, Samir V Kamat.
