Article Posted on : - Aug 16, 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation from the Red Fort on 78th Independence Day, in New Delhi, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. A PTI Photo

NEW DELHI (PTI): India is attaining 'Aatmanirbharta' (self-reliance) in defence and is gradually emerging as a global manufacturing hub of military equipment due to measures taken by the government in the last few years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said.

In his Independence Day speech on Thursday from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort, Modi said there was a time when the majority of the defence budget was used to procure military hardware from abroad, but his government focused on indigenous defence production.

"We are becoming self-reliant in the defence sector. Today, we have our own identity in defence manufacturing. India is emerging as a defence manufacturing hub," he said.

"I can say happily that the country which procured even small items from abroad is now gradually exporting defence hardware to many countries," Modi said.

The prime minister also referred to the 2016 surgical strike and 2019 Balakot air strike, unlike in the past, the armed forces under his government are giving a befitting reply to the terror attacks.

"When our armed forces do a surgical strike, when the armed forces carry out an air strike, then the youth of the country feel proud. And these are the reasons why today the hearts of 140 crore countrymen are filled with pride and self-confidence," he said.

The prime minister complimented the defence ministry and the armed forces for taking a series of decisions, including the notification of a number of positive indigenisation lists under which thousands of items are being procured from the Indian industry in line with designated timelines.

According to the defence ministry, a total of 5,600 items have been identified for domestic manufacturing.

In the last few years, the government has taken a series of initiatives to boost India's defence manufacturing.

The annual defence production hit a record high of Rs 1.27 lakh crore in financial year 2023-24, according to the defence ministry.

In the same fiscal, defence exports touched Rs 21,083 crore, an increase of 32.5 per cent over financial year 2022-23.

There has been a significant jump in defence exports in the first quarter of 2024-25 as Rs 6,915 crore worth of defence equipment was exported.

The amount is an increase of 78 per cent from the first quarter of 2023-24, when the figure was Rs 3,885 crore.

In June, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, outlining his vision in the defence sector for the next five years, said the government will work assiduously to increase the exports of military hardware to Rs 50,000 crore by 2028-29.

According to estimates, the Indian armed forces are projected to spend around USD 130 billion in capital procurement over the next five-six years.

The government now wants to reduce dependence on imported military platforms and has decided to support domestic defence manufacturing.

On the growing role of women in all the sectors, the prime minister emphasised the women are not just participating in the progress of the nation, but are playing a leadership role.

"Be it the Army, Navy, Air Force or the space sector, we are witnessing the ever-growing Nari Shakti (women power) of our country," he said.