Defence Ministry working to achieve goal of self-reliance: Rajnath Singh

National

Rajnath Singh, the Union Defense Minister, stated on Wednesday that the Defense Ministry is striving toward achieving self-reliance.

“Currently, we (Defense Ministry) are committed to achieving the goal of self-reliance. And our country is passing through a transitional phase of self-reliance,” Singh said while speaking at the workshop of Non-Official Directors of Defense PSUs. In this direction, Singh said, “We (Defense Ministry) have decided to achieve the goal of 1 lakh 75 thousand crore defense production”.

“Our goal is very big but we are determined and committed to achieve the goal positively. Of the goal, there is an export target of around 35,000 crore by 2024-2025,” said Singh, adding “DPSUs would play a major relief in achieving the goal and contribute to 70-80 per cent”.

According to Singh, the success of this movement depends on the involvement of each and every agency under the control of the federal and state governments.

The Minister stated that the Defense Ministry, along with other ministries, have been encouraging all concerned sectors, from government units to Public Sector Units, in this direction and that this is the first event of its kind being organised by the Defense Ministry in which non-official directors are meeting at one time (PSUs).

The Minister stated that non-official directors of DPSUs should be considered as friends and that their concerns should be taken into consideration.

In the meanwhile, the defence minister made it clear that while friendship is vital, it should not come at the expense of avoiding talking about crucial subjects because it is connected to the prosperity and development of the nation.

The Minister noted that DPSUs and the Defense Ministry might communicate with each other through non-official directors.

Singh further said “the work going on under DPSUs are as per proper policy”, and suggested that the role of non-official directors should be strengthened in DPSUs so that their suggestions and insights help in achieving their goals.

The Minister said that the Defense Ministry has already taken various efforts toward realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for self-reliance in India.

The creation of defense corridors in Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh as well as the corporatization of the Ordnance Factory Board are only two of the many measures that have been taken, according to Singh, to make our defense industry self-sufficient, able to meet local demand, and export-focused.