Govt creating level-playing field to boost domestic defence manufacturing: Rajnath Singh

New Delhi, Oct 27 (IANS) Led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government is creating a level-playing field to enhance defence manufacturing and strengthen the domestic ecosystem, and the industry must make full use of this opportunity, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday.

"The effective use of ‘Made-in-India’ equipment by the Armed Forces during Operation Sindoor bolstered India’s reputation both regionally and internationally," Rajnath Singh said, while urging the domestic industry, especially the private sector, to further accelerate the pursuit of self-reliance by focusing on innovation and R&D.

Addressing a Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) event here, he asserted that the world witnessed the power of Akash missile system, BrahMos, AkashTeer Air Defence Control System, and other indigenous equipment/platforms during Operation Sindoor, and the credit of the operation’s success goes to the brave armed forces as well as “Industry warriors” who worked on the front lines of innovation, design, and manufacturing.

"Although we gave a firm response with a firm resolve and our forces are fully prepared to defend the country’s borders, we must continue to introspect. Operation Sindoor should serve as a case study from which we can learn and chart our future course," the Defence Minister emphasised.

"This incident has once again shown us that anything can happen at our borders, anywhere, at any time. We need to be ready for a war-like situation, and our preparedness must be based on our own foundation," he said.

The present-day global uncertainties call for an in-depth assessment of every domain, with "indigenisation" being the only way to deal with the challenges emanating from the constantly evolving defence sector and the nature of warfare, Rajnath Singh noted.

"The established world order is weakening, and conflict zones are increasing in many regions. It has, therefore, become necessary for India to redefine its security and strategy," he said.

"Our defence production, which was only around Rs 46,000 crore in 2014, has now increased to a record Rs 1.51 lakh crore, of which Rs 33,000 crore has been contributed by the private sector. Our defence exports, which were less than Rs 1,000 crore 10 years ago, have touched a record approx. Rs 24,000 crore," the minister said.

He added that defence exports are likely to reach Rs 30,000 crore by March 2026.

"We recently launched Defence Procurement Manual 2025, and work is underway to revise the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020," he said, urging the private sector to increase its contribution to the domestic defence manufacturing from the current around 25 per cent to at least 50 per cent in the next three years.

--IANS

na/vd