Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday invoked a renewed sense of national pride and self-confidence that former BJP PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee had strongly espoused after the successful nuclear tests in 1998, when he said that the valour and skills of tri-services armed with indigenous platforms and weapon systems during a wargame in Rajasthan displayed the call of a new India.

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“Today, once again, Pokhran became a witness of the triveni of India’s Aatmnirbharta, self-confidence, and its glory,” the PM said after witnessing a synergised demonstration of indigenous defence capabilities of tri-services at the “Live Fire and Manoeuvre Exercise” in Pokhran, Rajasthan.

Drawing a parallel with the Vajpayee regime that took the bold step of defying international pressure to pursue national interest, he told the gathering of officers and diplomats that “it is the same Pokhran that witnessed India’s nuclear test, and today we are witnessing the power of strength from indigenisation.”

Report card

The PM virtually shared a performance report card of his two back-to-back stints at Raisina Road, as he expressed happiness that in the last 10 years, equipment worth ₹6-lakh crore has been procured from Indian companies. During this period, the defence production of the country has doubled to more than ₹1-lakh crore. More than 150 defence start-ups have come into existence in the last decade, and defence forces have given them orders worth ₹1,800 crore, he said.

Modi listed out the steps for making India self-reliant in the defence sector and spoke of policy reforms, roping in the private sector, and encouraging MSME start-ups in the field. He informed that about ₹7,000 crore investments have been made in defence corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Other than that, Asia’s largest helicopter factory has started working in India, he said.

“Aatmanirbharta for India’s defence needs is the guarantee of self-confidence in the armed forces,” Modi observed.

He was of the view that the energy of the armed forces increases manifold when the weapons and equipment used during wars are made indigenously. In the last 10 years, the PM said India has produced its own fighter jets, aircraft carriers, C295 transport aircraft, and advanced flight engines. He also envisioned that the growth of defence would also lead to employment and self-employment opportunities in the future, while referring to the recent Cabinet decision to design, develop, and manufacture fifth generation fighter jets in India.

Recalling the time when India used to be the largest defence importer in the world, the Prime Minister highlighted India’s emergence as a defence exporter and mentioned an eight-fold increase in the country’s defence exports compared to 2014.

Aatmnirbharta in defence

Earlier in his speech, the PM stated that the success of Aatmnirbharta in defence, according to him, can be seen with India’s tanks, cannons, fighter jets, helicopters, and missile systems, which reflect India’s strength.

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“We are experiencing the flight of Made in India with arms and ammunition, communication devices, cyber and space. This is indeed Bharat Shakti,” Modi said.

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