New Delhi, December 8 (IANS). Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said on the Armed Forces Flag Day (AFFD) that the government is committed to making the country self-reliant in the defense sector and India’s defense ecosystem is changing rapidly.
In his address, the Union Minister said that there was a time when the country was completely dependent on imports for weapons, but now the circumstances are changing rapidly.
India’s defense production has increased by 174 percent in the last 10 years, from Rs 46,000 crore in 2014-15 to a record Rs 1.51 lakh crore in 2024-25. Exports have also increased and have increased from just Rs 686 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 23,622 crore in 2024-25. India now exports defense systems to more than 90 countries.
A senior official said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly said that self-reliance in defense is necessary for India to emerge as a secure, self-confident and developed nation by 2047. His emphasis on India achieving self-reliance in defense and emerging as a global manufacturing hub reflects a strategic shift.
Highlighting successful operations like Operation Sindoor, Prime Minister Modi emphasized that indigenous platforms, once proven in combat, will strengthen deterrence and build national confidence. This will establish India as a reliable supplier.
The government’s policy of opening up the defense sector to private companies has helped in expanding the industrial base and the preference for Indian-made military hardware has played an important role in the rapid expansion of the defense industry.
The Defense Minister said that the country’s rapid economic growth has put more resources in the hands of the government and due to this the size of the country’s defense budget has increased to Rs 6.81 lakh crore in the financial year 2025-26, which was Rs 2.53 lakh crore in 2013-14.
–IANS
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