AMN / WEB DESK
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said that self-reliance is not an option but a necessity as India is facing a double threat on its borders, along with new dimensions of warfare that are emerging in today’s fast-changing world. He was speaking at a defence dialogue on ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ in Lucknow on Saturday.
Mr. Singh termed a strong and self-reliant military as the backbone of a sovereign nation, which besides protecting the borders, also safeguards the country’s civilisation and culture. He asserted that the Government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is ensuring that the Armed Forces are not dependent on foreign weapons and equipment, emphasising that the real strength lies in being ‘Aatmanirbhar’, especially when an emergency situation arises.
Rajnath Singh stressed the need to develop indigenous state-of-the-art weapons and platforms that equip and prepare the Armed Forces to tackle new and emerging challenges. He said the country needs to go beyond the horizon and achieve self-reliance in niche technologies. Listing out the advantages of being ‘Aatmanirbhar’, Mr. Singh stated that it would not only decrease the expenditure on imports, but also multi-dimensionally benefit the civil sector.
On the UP Defence industrial corridor, Rajnath Singh said that the work is going on in a mission mode and 95% of around 1,700 hectares of land has been acquired till date. Of these, 36 industries and institutions have been allotted nearly 600 hectares of land. 109 MoUs have been signed, with an estimated investment value of more than 16,000 crore rupees.