“Earlier, India was known to be an arms importer. But today, under the leadership of the prime minister, we have come out of our comfort zone and found a place in the list of top-25 arms exporter nations,” Singh said.
In the next four years, India’s annual defence production is expected to touch a whopping Rs 3 lakh crore and exports of military hardware is poised to reach Rs 50,000 crore, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday, announcing that high-end systems like aero-engines and gas turbines will be produced within the country.
In an address at a defence conclave, Singh, delving into structural defence reforms, said the three services used to work in “silos” earlier but now they are ready with better coordination to deal with any challenge jointly.
“Earlier, the three services used to work in silos. We focused on their integration which was an out-of-the-box step and the need of the hour. It was a little difficult in the beginning; but today our military is ready with better coordination to deal with every challenge together,” he said at the Firstpost Defence Summit.
Singh noted that the government has been focusing on jointness among the Indian Army, the Navy and the Indian Air Force that would ensure enhanced coordination in times of “crisis”. He said India’s annual defence production is expected to clock Rs 3 lakh crore and defence exports Rs 50,000 crore. According to latest data, the defence production has crossed Rs one lakh crore mark while the defence exports in 2023-24 has been estimated at around Rs 16,000 crore.
“Earlier, India was known to be an arms importer. But today, under the leadership of the prime minister, we have come out of our comfort zone and found a place in the list of top-25 arms exporter nations,” Singh said. “Seven-eight years ago, defence exports did not even touch Rs 1,000 crore. Today, it has touched Rs 16,000 crore. By 2028-29, annual defence production is expected to touch Rs 3 lakh crore and defence exports Rs 50,000 crore,” he added.
The defence minister added that Rs 6.21 lakh crore was allocated to the defence budget for 2024-25.