Home » PM’s address at seminar on Atmanirbhar Bharat in Defence manufacturing
- My cabinet colleague, Shri Rajnath ji, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat ji, Chiefs of the three wings of the military, all senior officials of Government of India and friends in the industry. Namaskar.
- I am very happy that all the important stakeholders associated with India’s defence production are present here. I congratulate Defence Minister Rajnathji and his entire team for organizing this seminar.
- The outcome of the brainstorming session will give a fillip to our efforts for self-reliance in the field of defence sector.
- The suggestions that you have given at this collective brainstorming session will be very useful in the coming days.
- It also gives me pleasure that Defence Minister Rajnathji is determined on a mission mode. I have full faith that his relentless efforts will lead to very good results.
- Friends, it is not hidden from anybody that India has been one of the main defence importers in the world for the last several years.
- When India became independent, it had huge capabilities in defence production. There was a well-established 100-year-old ecosystem in defence production in India.
- Not many countries had the resources and potential of India. But it is unfortunate that not much attention was paid on this issue for several decades. In a way, it became a routine exercise.
- No serious attempts were made. And several countries which started much after us have raced ahead of us in the last 50 years. But, the situation is changing now.
- In the last few years, you must have experienced that we have been making concerted efforts to unshackle all the fetters in this sector.
- Our aim is to increase manufacturing, development of new technologies in India and the maximum growth of the private sector in this particular field.
- Therefore, several steps have been taken which include reforms in the licensing procedure, creation of level-playing fields, simplification of export process, reforms in offset provisions, etc.
- Friends, I believe that of all these steps, what is more important is the new mindset in the country regarding the defence sector. We can feel it, there is birth of a new mindset.
- The spirit of self-confidence in the defence sector is paramount for making a modern and self-reliant India.
- For long, the country was debating the appointment of Chief of Defence Staff, but no decision could be taken. This decision is the symbol of the self-confidence of a new India.
- There was no permission for foreign direct investment in the defence production for a long time. The government of revered Atalji took the first initiative. More reforms were carried out after our government came to power. Doors are being opened for 74 % automatic FDI in this sector for the first time. This is the outcome of the self-confidence of a new India.
- For decades, Ordnance factories were being run like government departments. Not only the country had to suffer because of the limited vision, the people who were working there, who had talent and commitment, who were hardworking, our hard and experienced labour class, suffered a lot.
- The ecosystem of the sector, which could create job opportunities for crores of people, remained very limited.
- Now, we are moving in the direction of corporatization of ordnance factories. Both the workers and the military will get a push. This is the proof of self-confidence of a new India.
- Friends, our commitment towards self-reliance in defence production is not limited to discussions or on papers. Several concrete steps have been taken for its implementation.
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