‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ making India one of strongest countries in the world: Rajnath Singh

He made it clear that ‘Aatmanirbharta’ does not mean isolation. He defined it as India’s resolve to give hope and relief to the whole world.

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said that ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ is making India one of the strongest and most respected countries in the world. He said that central government is leaving no stone unturned to realise the dream of a ‘New India’ which is not dependent on any country to fulfill its needs, especially those related to security.

Talking about steps taken by Ministry of Defence to achieve ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence, Singh said that the issuance of three positive indigenisation lists of 310 items as well as encouraging the private sector to become a part of the nation’s growth story is testament to the Government’s unwavering commitment to provide the Armed Forces with indigenously developed state-of-the-art weapons/platforms and equip them to deal with all future challenges.

He said that the domestic industry has the capacity and capability to manufacture the latest defence platforms in water, land, sky and space in the next few years and the government is making all efforts to provide them with the necessary environment.      

Rajnath Singh said that said defence exports, which were once Rs 1,900 crore, have now crossed Rs 13,000 crore and exuded confidence of achieving the target of Rs 1.75 lakh crore of defence production by 2025, which includes export of Rs 35,000 crore. He mentioned of the country’s first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, with 76 per cent indigenous content, which was commissioned earlier this month.

He, however, made it clear that ‘Aatmanirbharta’ does not mean isolation. He defined it as India’s resolve to give hope and relief to the whole world.

“Today, the world has realised that manufacturing hub should not be in any one country. In the changed circumstances, big MNCs are exploring new options to decentralise its manufacturing. India not only fulfils that quest, but also gives hope that this manufacturing shift has the potential to provide a new lift to the entire global economy. India is the centre of global optimism. We have an ocean of opportunities, plethora of options and a feeling of openness. ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ opens new doors with an open mind. Our aim is to safeguard national interests and, at the same time, help our friendly countries to achieve their goals. The vision is clear – ‘Make in India, Make for the World’,” the Defence Minister said.