New Delhi (NVI): In a self-reliance push towards making India capable of major producing defence equipment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that self-confidence in this sector will pave the way for a modern and “Atmanirbhar Bharat” in the near future.
While Addressing the webinar on ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat – Defence Industry Outreach’, PM Modi called for investment in the defence sector while assuring the foreign players that his government is committed to creating a robust ecosystem for all manufacturers.
“We are witnessing a new mentality in the defence sector. For a modern and Atmanirbhar Bharat, self-confidence in the defence sector is very important,” the PM said while addressing the webinar organized by FICCI, jointly with the Department of Military Affairs (DMA), Ministry of Defence.
The PM further mentioned that Atmanirbhar Bharat is not inward-looking but to make the global economy more stable, for global peace, and making India a self-reliant country. “This is also true for Atmanirbharta in the defence sector,” he said.
In addition to this, Modi also emphasized that India has the capability to become a trusted supplier of defence equipment for its friendly countries.
“We all collectively have to achieve the target of Atmanirbhar Bharat. It is a win-win situation for everyone including the public sector, private sector and foreign companies. The government is committed to providing a better eco-system,” he said.
In order to support the private sector, Modi said that the Ministry of Defence will allocate one portion of capital budget for promoting products manufactured within India.
Speaking on the recent reforms announced by the government, Modi emphasized that the process of the reforms will not stop but will continue.
Also present in the virtual event, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that India is committed to providing a level playing field to the industry and the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat can only be achieved by this.
He further added that the government is working on the process of corporatization of the Ordinance Factory Boards in the country, which will further strengthen the defence sector.
Singh said that his ministry has allocated Rs 52,000 crore from the defence budget for the current financial year to boost and promote domestic defence industries. He also laid emphasis on simplifying the procurement procedures and reducing the timelines for approvals.
Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, who also participated in the webinar said that after consultation with the industry, there are a lot of items that they want to be added in the negative list.
“The list is going to increase, and we will have the next list by early next year. That will not be the end of the list. Gradually, as we see the private industry delivering, we will keep on adding more items to the list,” he said.
He further expressed hope that the Indian aerospace industry will find their feet in India and that this is one area where we are lagging. “Putting them in the negative list will be one of our greatest achievements,” he added.
Raj Kumar, Secretary, Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence said that the proof of Atmanirbharta lies in our ability to export our defence products.
“With the help of the defence attaché, we have developed country profiles of friendly nations. We propose that with due facilitation by defence attaché and Indian embassies will help us promote export of our indigenous products,” he added.
-ARK
