India Is Emerging As Defence Manufacturing Hub Globally: PM Modi During I-Day Speech

During his Independence Day 2024 address from the iconic Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India is becoming 'Aatmanirbhar' (self-reliant) in defence and emerging as a global manufacturing hub. Speaking to the nation on the 78th anniversary of India's independence, the Prime Minister praised the steps taken by the government in recent years to foster indigenous defence manufacturing and reduce dependence on foreign imports.

PM Modi noted that in the past, a significant portion of India's defence budget was spent on importing equipment from abroad. However, under his leadership, there has been a concentrated effort to boost domestic production. The Ministry of Defence, alongside the Armed Forces, has implemented a series of indigenisation lists with over 5,600 items that will now be sourced exclusively from Indian industries. This shift has positioned India as a growing exporter of defence equipment, with the nation now supplying arms to various countries.

Highlighting the impact of these initiatives, PM Modi said that India achieved a record high in annual defence production in the 2023-24 fiscal year, reaching Rs 1.27 lakh crore.

Additionally, defence exports surged to Rs 21,083 crore, marking a 32.5 per cent increase over the previous fiscal year. In the first quarter of FY 2024-25 alone, exports grew by 78 per cent compared to the same period in the prior year, reflecting the continued success of India's self-reliance strategy.

Reflecting on India's strengthened defence capabilities, the Prime Minister cited the 2016 surgical strikes and the 2019 airstrikes as pivotal moments when India demonstrated its ability to respond forcefully to terror attacks. He emphasised that India is now stronger and more assertive, with its Armed Forces ready to deliver a decisive response to any threat against the country's sovereignty.

In his speech, PM Modi also acknowledged the growing role of women in India's defence forces and other critical sectors. "Be it the Army, Navy, Air Force, or the space sector, we are witnessing the ever-growing Nari Shakti (women power) of our country," he said, celebrating the leadership roles women are assuming across various fields.