Bolstering the national security apparatus is of paramount importance to the government, Rajnath Singh said

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said structural and organisational reforms in the defence sector, corporatisation of Ordnance Factory Board, setting up of defence corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, increase in FDI and draft Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy 2020 will increase India’s strength.

He said this while inaugurating the three-day ‘Rashtra Raksha Samarpan Parv. He added that these measures will also provide a roadmap to the country’s defence manufacturing for the future.

The Defence Minister termed Rs 50,000 crore order from the Armed Forces to Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL) as a historic deal, “which will take the Indian Aerospace sector to greater heights.”

He listed out a number of initiatives undertaken to strengthen the defence sector and ensure strategic independence.

He stated that bolstering the national security apparatus is of paramount importance to the government.

“Our country is facing many types of conventional & non-conventional challenges - from border threats to sub-conventional threats like terror and extremism. There is a need to create a strong, modern and well-equipped military, along with an equally capable, vibrant and self-reliant defence industry, which can provide low-cost yet top-quality equipment to our forces in a time-bound manner,” he said.

Underscoring the importance of self-reliance in defence manufacturing, Rajnath Singh said, India cannot fulfill its strategic and security needs by relying on other countries and the government is constantly striving to achieve ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Shedding light on other visible results, Rajnath Singh said, in the last seven years, the defence exports have crossed Rs 38,000 crore mark.

Joining of more than 10,000 SMEs in the defence sector and increase in research & development, start-up, innovation and employment in the defence sector are a result of the policies rolled out by the Government, he added.