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Nashik, Oct 17 (IANS) Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said there was a time when the country was dependent on other countries to meet its defense needs, and about 65-70 per cent of defense equipment was imported.
He said, “But today, this situation has changed; now India is doing 65 per cent of manufacturing on its own soil and very soon it will take domestic manufacturing to 100 per cent.”
He was speaking at an event organized by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Nashik, where he inaugurated the third production line for Tejas MK1A and the second production line for Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 aircraft.
The Defense Minister said, “The speed at which India has achieved self-reliance in the field of defense and technology in the last 10-12 years is truly remarkable. The things which we used to buy from outside earlier, today we are manufacturing the same things in our country. Fighter aircraft, missiles, engines, electronic warfare systems, India has made tremendous progress in all these areas.”
He also said, “The idea of self-reliance in the defense sector is not a new one. For the last 10 years, under the leadership of the Prime Minister, the NDA government had clearly understood that without becoming self-reliant, we can never be truly secure. Moving towards self-reliance, we have not only reduced import dependence but also committed to indigenization with the Tejas MK1A project as an important step in this direction.”
“Our defense exports, which used to be less than Rs 1,000 crore, have now reached a record Rs 25,000 crore. We now aim to achieve Rs 3 lakh crore in domestic defense manufacturing and Rs 50,000 crore in defense exports by 2029,” the Defense Minister said.
He said, “If I talk about figures, our defense production in the year 2014-15 was Rs 46,429 crore, whereas in 2024-25 it has increased to more than Rs 1,46,000 crore. These are not just facts, this is the flight of self-reliance of our country.”
According to the Defense Minister, the manufacturing of LCA Tejas and HTT-40 aircraft is also the result of cooperation between various industry partners of our country.
“This collaboration is proof that when government, industry and academia work together, no challenge is too big.”
“Now we cannot be limited to just LCA Tejas or HTT-40. Now is the time to establish our identity in the field of next generation aircraft, unmanned systems and civil aviation also. And I am confident that HAL Nashik will play an important role in all these areas in the times to come. Today we are emphasizing on cutting-edge, indigenous technologies. I am very happy to see that Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. is firmly in place.” Representing India in this direction,” the Defense Minister said.
He said, “With this new beginning, I can also say with confidence that it will create thousands of new employment opportunities in Nashik and surrounding areas. It will open new avenues of training and employment for the youth here. This will further strengthen the entire industrial ecosystem of Maharashtra and neighboring states. I also salute the brave soldiers of the Indian Air Force who have shown confidence in Indian aircraft like Tejas and HTT-40.”
As far as high defense technology is concerned, Rajnath Singh said it is not just about machines or weapons, it is the story of our thinking, our capability and our confidence.
“Today the country has also strengthened its position in space. Our aerospace industry is also developing rapidly today. Under the ‘Make in India’ initiative, we have taken steps like encouraging local manufacturing and production of aerospace equipment. In today’s time, the methods of warfare are changing. Today things like artificial intelligence, cyber warfare, drone systems and next generation aircraft are determining the direction of the future. Now, warfare is not just on the ground or They are not being fought on the ground. In the sky, but also on many boundaries. India has to always be ahead in this new race.”
–ANS
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