Self-reliance is not an option but a necessity for India, says Defence Minister

Lucknow: Defence minister Rajnath Singh today stated that 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. 

Addressing a defence dialogue on 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' organised by STRIVE think-tank, a veterans' initiative, and a media organisation in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Singh 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. 

He asserted that the Government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, is ensuring that the Armed Forces are not dependent on foreign weapons & equipment, emphasising that the real strength lies in being 'Aatmanirbhar', especially when an emergency situation arises.

The minister shared his insights on the paradigm shift brought about by technology in the nature of warfare. He stressed on the necessity to develop indigenous state-of-the-art weapons and platforms that equip & prepare the Armed Forces to tackle new and emerging challenges.

Listing out the advantages of being 'Aatmanirbhar', 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.

The minister enumerated the steps taken by the Government to create a robust defence ecosystem, which not only caters to the domestic requirements, but also fulfills the security necessity of friendly countries. These include setting up of Defence Industrial Corridors (DIC) in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu; earmarking of record 75 per cent of defence capital procurement budget (approx. Rs one lakh crore) for domestic industry in Financial Year 2023-24; 25 per cent R&D budget for private industry and Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative & Technology Development Fund to promote start-ups.

On the UP DIC, he 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.

The minister 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.

Chief Nodal Officer for UP DIC Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria (Retd), officers of the Armed Forces & DRDO and representatives of the industry and academia were present on the occasion.

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