“India has become a strong and confident nation which is well-equipped to protect its people from anyone who try to cast an evil eye on it,” said Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh.
He made these remarks during an event organised to commemorate ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas’ here on Sunday.
Paying glowing tributes to the freedom fighters and the Armed Forces personnel who have laid down their lives since independence in the service of the nation, Rajnath Singh stated that it was the spirit of national pride at the core of their values that protected the unity and integrity of India.
He asserted that the sole aim of the Government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is to safeguard the interests of the nation and it has taken a series of steps to develop a self-reliant defence ecosystem that provides indigenous state-of-the-art weapons/equipment to the armed forces to fight all kinds of future wars.
“Our priority is to achieve Aatmanirbharta in defence as it is central to developing a robust security apparatus for the safety and security of the nation.
“To realise this vision, 68% of the defence budget has been earmarked for procurement of defence equipment from domestic sources. From a net importer, we have now become a net exporter which is not only catering to our own needs, but is also fulfilling the requirements of our friendly countries, in line with the ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ vision, the Raksha Mantri said.
He added that due to the recent measures taken by the Government, India today finds itself among the top 25 exporters of the world in defence items.
“We have set a target to achieve Rs 35,000 crore worth of exports by 2025 and become a top exporter in the times to come. Our aim is to make India a global superpower. This will be a fitting tribute to our fallen heroes who made the supreme sacrifice while dreaming of an India which is strong, prosperous, self-reliant and victorious,” said the Raksha Mantri.
A number of serving Armed Forces personnel as well as veterans, including Param Vir Chakra awardee Captain Bana Singh, were among those present on the occasion.
