Self-reliance is not an option but a necessity, as India is facing a double threat on its borders, along with new dimensions of warfare that are emerging in today’s fast-changing world. This was stated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during a defence dialogue on ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ organised by STRIVE think-tank, a veterans’ initiative, and a media organisation in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh on Saturday.
He termed a strong & self-reliant military as the backbone of a sovereign nation, which besides protecting the borders, safeguards the country’s civilisation and culture. Rajnath Singh stressed on the need to develop indigenous state-of-the-art weapons and platforms that equip & 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 added.
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.
On the UP DIC, Rajnath Singh said that the work is going on in mission mode and 95% of around 1,700 hectares of land has been acquired till date. Of these, 36 industries and institutions have been allotted nearly 600 hectares of land. 109 MoUs have been signed, with an estimated investment value of more than Rs 16,000 crore.
So far, a total investment of about Rs 2,500 crore has been made in UPDIC by various entities. The corridor will not only produce spare parts, but also manufacture and assemble Drones/Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Electronic warfare, Aircraft & BrahMos missiles.
He highlighted that the Government’s efforts in the last few years have resulted in over Rs 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.
“We are moving ahead at an unprecedented pace to achieve the Prime Minister’s vision of making India a developed nation by 2047. The aim is to build an economically powerful and completely self-reliant India, which is also a net defence exporter,” he added.
