India Is Ready For Any Kind Of Threat, Says The Defence Minister

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said again on Tuesday, when the standoff with China is far from over, that India is now a “strong, confident, and self-reliant nation” that is “fully equipped to deal with all kinds of threats and challenges.”

Rajnath Singh said at an event in Udaipur, Rajasthan, which is next to Pakistan, “India has never attacked another country or taken an inch of foreign land, but if anyone tries to cast an evil eye, we will respond in kind.”

Superior military prowess

The minister told the country that the armed forces are fully ready to protect people from people who are against India. When Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014, the Defense Minister tried to make a distinction between the country’s defence readiness before and after that year.

He said, “India is no longer weak because of the last eight years. When our military did surgical strikes in 2016 and airstrikes on Balakot in 2019, they showed how strong they are and helped us explain where we stand on terrorism. It showed that India’s military skills are just as good as those of any other country.”

Singh also talked about the government’s work under the Atmanirbhar Bharat scheme. He said that eight years ago, defence exports were worth about 900 crore, but now they are worth around 13,000 crore. A goal of 2.75 lakh crore in defence exports by 2047 has been set, he said, showing confidence that India will reach the goal.

To encourage self-reliance in defence, he said that his ministry had put out three lists of 310 items that could be made in India and that 68 percent of the capital procurement budget in the Union Budget 2022-23 was set aside for the domestic industry. The minister also said that foreign companies are being encouraged to make their products in India.