Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, in an oblique reference to China, said on Thursday that India is prepared to deliver a “befitting” response to acts of aggression by any nation. He was addressing an event organised by a private media organisation in New Delhi.
“Today, our forces possess a strong will power due to a powerful leadership at the centre. We are working continuously towards keeping the morale of the soldiers high. They are equipped, capable and ready to give a befitting reply to anyone who casts an evil eye on India,” Singh said.
India and China have been locked in a military stand-off for nearly four years in eastern Ladakh. The 20th round of Corps Commander-level talks between New Delhi and Beijing was held last October at Chushul as part of the ongoing efforts for overall disengagement and de-escalation to resolve the stand-off.
Singh said that India’s defence capabilities have grown stronger under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, emphasizing a focus on self-reliance, or Atmanirbharta.
“Ever since the BJP government came to power in 2014, defence has been one of our core priorities. We moved towards Atmanirbharta (self-reliance) in the sector. Whether it is the launch of the Department of military affairs, the creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff, we have focused on indigenous production and export of defence equipment, as well as military modernization,” he said.
Highlighting the surge in defence spending since 2014 and its positive impact on the sector, Singh said, “The annual defence production, which was around Rs 40,000 crore in 2014, has now crossed a record Rs 1.10 lakh crore. The defence exports today have touched Rs 16,000 crore from a meagre Rs 1,000 crore nine-ten years ago. We have set a target to achieve Rs 50,000 crore of exports by 2028-29.”
Singh reiterated that the government is committed to the betterment of the serving and retired defence personnel.
“The Armed Forces are being modernised with latest state-of-the-art weapons/platforms. We established the National War Memorial in New Delhi to honour the sacrifices of the brave hearts. Additionally, we implemented the One Rank One Pension scheme, a long-pending demand of the ex-servicemen,” he said.
(Inputs from ANI)