New Delhi, Aug 27 (UNI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today stressed the need to keep strengthening domestic Defence industry to ensure that India is fully prepared for every situation and the ‘’surge capacity’’ is sufficient.
“If any war stretches for two months, four months, a year, two years, even five years, then we should be fully prepared. We must ensure that our surge capacity is sufficient,” he said in his plenary address at RAN SAMWAD, a first-of-its-kind Tri-service seminar on war, warfare and warfighting, at the Army War College in Dr Ambedkar Nagar, Madhya Pradesh.
He described as a ‘’testimony to the progress made towards achieving the goal of self-reliance,’’ the record Defence production of over Rs 1.50 lakh crore in FY 2024-25 which is up from Rs 46,425 crore in 2014. “It is a symbol of India’s changing global identity. Today, when the world sees the Make-in-India label, it gets assurance and confidence in the quality of our indigenously-developed platforms and systems. This is the real strength of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Self-reliance is no longer just a slogan. It is the unbreakable foundation of our national security,” he said, while appreciating the vital contribution of the private sector in realising the vision.
He defined the ‘Sudarshan Chakra’ Mission announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the ‘’Government’s resolve for self-defence,’’ under which, vital locations will be covered with a shield of modern and indigenously developed technology.
He made special mention of DRDO’s successful maiden test of Integrated Air Defence Weapon System and a High Powered Directed Energy Weapon, terming the achievements as the success of the entire nation.
On the recent commissioning of stealth frigates–INS Himgiri and INS Udaygiri–he said the Government is working with full readiness to make the Indian Navy stronger and more robust in line with the changing world and evolving technology.
He commended the Navy for maintaining strategic positions during Operation Sindoor, which limited the enemy’s movement completely in the Arabian Sea. “Our Navy’s presence in the Indian Ocean is keeping our maritime borders completely secure.”
The Defence Minister said the Indian Air Force is being continuously strengthened through the induction of long-range missiles to next-generation beyond visual range weapons among other. The Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems Grid is also being further strengthened in view of the increasing use of drones, he said.
