India is achieving ‘Atmanirbharta’ (self-reliance) in defence and is gradually emerging as a global manufacturing hub of military equipment. It is due to the measures the government has taken in the last few years, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned on 15th August. In his Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort, Modi highlighted that there was a time when most of the defence budget was used to procure military hardware from abroad. However, his government has focused on Indigenous defence production.
“We are becoming self-reliant in the defence sector. Today, we have our own identity in defence manufacturing. India is emerging as a defence manufacturing hub,” he said.
“I can say happily that the country which procured even small items from abroad is now gradually exporting defence hardware to many countries,” Modi said.
The Prime Minister mentioned the 2016 surgical strike and the 2019 Balakot air strike as examples of the armed forces under his government responding effectively to terror attacks. He emphasized that these actions make the Indian youth feel proud and contribute to a sense of pride and self-confidence among the nation’s 1.4 billion citizens. The Prime Minister praised the defence ministry and armed forces for making important decisions, such as prioritizing the procurement of thousands of items from the Indian industry within specific timelines through positive indigenization lists.
The Defence Ministry has identified 5,600 items for domestic manufacturing. Over the past few years, the government has introduced several initiatives to enhance India’s defence manufacturing capabilities. In the financial year 2023-24, annual defence production reached a record high of Rs 1.27 lakh crore, as reported by the Defence Ministry. During the same fiscal year, defence exports amounted to Rs 21,083 crore, marking a 32.5% increase from the previous financial year, 2022-23.
There was a significant jump in defence exports in the first quarter of 2024-25, as Rs 6,915 crore worth of defence equipment was exported. It is a 78 per cent increase from the first quarter of 2023-24, when the figure was Rs 3,885 crore. In June, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, outlining his vision in the defence sector for the next five years, said the government will work assiduously to increase the exports of military hardware to Rs 50,000 crore by 2028-29.
The Prime Minister emphasized the growing role of women in all sectors, stating that women are participating in the nation’s progress and playing a leadership role. “Whether it’s the Army, Navy, Air Force, or the space sector, we are witnessing the ever-growing ‘Nari Shakti’ (women power) of our country,” he said.
Team BharatShakti
