Ahead of the 75th Independence Day, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Saturday stated India will become self-reliant and an exporter of military equipment to friendly countries by the end of this decade.
The Minister said this at a function organised to unveil a statue of renowned Marwari warrior Veer Durgadas Rathorein Jodhpur, Rajasthan, and assured people that the nation has foolproof security apparatus in place to protect from anyone, perhaps hinting at China post-Galwan standoff.
“By the end of this decade, India will not only make defence equipment for itself but also fulfil the needs of friendly foreign countries. ‘Make in India, make for the world’ is the new mantra of our department of defence production. Our resolve is to make India a net exporter of defence equipment in the times to come,” Singh was quoted by the Defence Ministry.
The country's dependence on exports is decreasing due to the measures, added the Minister, taken by the government in the last few years. India has leapfrogged to find a place among the top 25 defence exporters of the world, he pointed out.
‘Safety and security is top priority’
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Singh asserted, the government accords top priority to the safety and security of the people and assured the nation that a befitting reply will be given to anyone who tries to disturb peace and harmony in the country. He stated that the armed forces are being equipped with the latest weapons and platforms and are ready to deal with all future threats and safeguard national interests.
The Minister, who underlined the importance of achieving self-reliance in defence production to build a strong military, said his ministry undertook many reforms to manufacture indigenous weapons/platforms for the armed forces under the ‘Aatmanirbhar BharatAbhiyan’.
He mentioned some of the reforms, such as earmarking 68 per cent of the capital procurement budget for the domestic industry in 2022-23 and allocating 25 per cent of the domestic capital procurement budget for private industry.