NEW DELHI, JUNE 2: “India is not an emerging but a resurgent power which is regaining its place on the global economic map under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at an event in New Delhi.
In his address, Singh said until the 17th century, India had a remarkably strong economy, constituting over a quarter of the world’s GDP, but it lost its glory due to a weak military and political slavery.
The Defence minister asserted that the Government was working on both these fronts to ensure that India regains its old glorious status. He stated that no stone is being left unturned to create a strong, young and tech-savvy Armed Forces on the back of robust defence industry which indigenously manufactures state-of-the-art weapons/equipment, while efforts are also being made to get rid of the colonial mind-set.
“A strong military not only secures the borders, but also protects the culture & economy of a country. The goal is to build a strong, self-reliant and prosperous nation, which caters to its own needs as well as the requirements of friendly countries. This is an era of renaissance. It is time to re-establish India as a global superpower,” Rajnath Singh said.
Talking about the political landscape in the country, Singh said political parties are integral to a democracy and it cannot survive without them. At the same time, he rued that many political parties in India do not operate based on any ideology and their politics revolve around a person or a family or a caste.
“I think such politics should have no place in a developed India. Politics should be based on ideology and values and not on the basis of family, religion and caste,” he said, speaking at Times Network’s India Economic Conclave.
“If I talk about the political future of India, I wish that as we move ahead, our democracy should be strengthened in the same way. Criminalisation of politics should end, and our country should move forward on the path of credible politics. Politics should be understood as a medium of public service,” he said.
The defence minister also spoke about social development and that he imagines an India where there is no discrimination of any kind in the society.
Singh also highlighted India’s overall progress under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, including in the economic sphere, and how efforts are underway to take India’s cultural identity to a new height.
“We are constantly trying to take India’s cultural identity to a new height and I want to see the same India in future also where it has a cultural sovereignty,” he said.
“When we will emerge as a superpower, we will have to ensure that universal values like democracy, religious freedom, dignity of human beings and world peace are established all over the world. Yes, we also have to keep in mind that we should not impose our views on anyone,” he said.
Citing a report by Morgan Stanley, the Defence minister aid that after naming India among the ‘Fragile 5’ economies in 2013, the investment firm recently stated that the country will be the third largest economy by 2027. He termed it as a testament to the growth of the Indian economy in recent years. He was of the view that the phrase ‘emerging power’ can be used for India in the immediate perspective, but for the long term, he views it as a resurgent power, which is regaining its place on the world economic map.
Rajnath Singh listed out a number of reforms undertaken by the Government to facilitate the economic growth of the country. These include direct tax reforms, GST and steps to enhance ease of doing business. There has been a revolutionary transformation in all sectors and foreign investors today see India as an attractive destination, he said.
On the transformative changes brought about in the defence sector in the last few years, the Defence minister stated that a number of steps have been taken to achieve complete ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in manufacturing of weapons and technologies. The major decisions include notification of four positive indigenisation lists of 411 items on behalf of the Armed Forces & four other lists of 4,666 items for DPSUs, besides setting up of Defence Industrial Corridors in Uttar Pradesh & Tamil Nadu.
Shedding light on the positive results achieved due to the Government’s efforts, Rajnath Singh stated that a record over Rs one lakh crore defence production and all-time high defence exports of almost Rs 16,000 crore in Financial Year 2022-23 are proof of the massive growth of the defence sector. He added that the start-up friendly ecosystem created by the Government has led to the creation of over 100 unicorns in the country, with the defence R&D and manufacturing sector witnessing a significant increase in the number of start-ups.
The Defence minister also shared his insights on the Prime Minister’s vision for India to be a developed nation by 2047, which he voiced during his 2022 Independence Day address from the ramparts of Red Fort. The Government is focusing on all sectors, including health, education, road transport, railways and border development to realise the Prime Minister’s vision, he said.
Rajnath Singh spelt out his vision for India@2047, which includes a robust government machinery; help to every person in need; social harmony; equal participation of women and an ecosystem which creates more & more employment opportunities. He also called for further increasing the capacity of the economic infrastructure to ensure a high quality life to the country’s population, while developing the abilities of the youth. He envisioned growth with an efficient market economy, where people have freedom to start any business/job.
Rajnath Singh also envisioned a developed India which ensures that universal values like democracy, religious freedom, dignity and world peace are established across the globe. “Together, let us dream of an India where people have the same feeling of nation building; where all Indians work together without any discrimination. Let us dream of an India where people are judged not by their caste and religion, but by their knowledge and character; where every Indian has access to human rights and has commitment towards their duties. Let us dream of an India which is strong enough to defend itself and be ready to stand against any injustice anywhere in the world,” he said.
