Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday emphasized India’s need for self-reliance, as the country confronts a double threat on its borders and grapples with new dimensions of warfare in an ever-changing world.Speaking at a defence dialogue on ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) in Lucknow, Singh underscored the need for a strong & self-reliant military as the backbone of a sovereign nation, which besides protecting the borders, safeguards the country’s civilisation and culture.
He said under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government is committed to ensuring the armed forces are not reliant on foreign weapons and equipment, emphasizing the significance of self-reliance, particularly in times of emergencies.
The defence minister shared his insights on the paradigm shift brought about by technology in the nature of warfare. He stressed on the need to develop indigenous state-of-the-art weapons and platforms that equip and prepare the armed forces to tackle new and emerging challenges.
“Most of the weapons today are electronic-based systems, which can reveal sensitive information to the adversaries. As imported equipment has certain limitations, we need to go beyond the horizon and achieve self-reliance in niche technologies. Latest weapons/equipment are equally important as the bravery of our soldiers. If India wishes to become a military power at the global level, there is no other option than being self-reliant in defence manufacturing," he said.
Listing out the advantages of being ‘Aatmanirbhar’, Rajnath Singh stated that it would not only decrease the expenditure on imports, but also multi-dimensionally benefit the civil sector. He called for developing dual use technology that, besides strengthening the defence sector, improves the standard of living of the people.
Singh highlighted that the government’s efforts in the last few years have resulted in over ?one lakh crore defence production and nearly Rs 16,000 crore exports in Financial Year 2022-23. He exuded confidence that the defence exports will soon cross Rs 20,000 crore mark.
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