Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on Tuesday, asserted that Aatmanirbharta does not mean isolation; instead, it signifies a nation standing firmly on its own feet and engaging with the world as an equal partner.
Addressing the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference in Vadodara, Singh said India was encouraging collaborations with foreign original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), technology transfers and joint ventures to ensure that outcomes are realised on Indian soil, strengthening indigenous capabilities and benefiting the country.
Calling Viksit Bharat a vision beyond economic growth, he said it was "a resolve to build an economically prosperous, technologically capable, and socially empowered country," and urged industries to transform regional strengths into national capabilities and local innovation into global competitiveness.
Highlighting the transformation in the defence sector over the past decade, Singh said India had moved from being heavily dependent on imports to emerging as a major defence manufacturing and export hub.
He said domestic defence production has increased from ₹46,000 crore in 2014 to a record ₹1.78 lakh crore, while defence exports have risen from less than ₹1,000 crore to ₹38,424 crore.
According to the defence minister, initiatives such as Make in India, reforms in the Defence Acquisition Procedure, the Technology Development Fund, iDEX, the Srijan Portal, Defence Testing Infrastructure and simplified licensing and FDI norms have strengthened indigenous manufacturing and encouraged greater participation from private industry, MSMEs and start-ups.
Emphasising the strategic importance of the defence sector, Singh said its growth extends beyond weapons manufacturing by generating opportunities in infrastructure, logistics, research, technology, innovation and employment.
He said Gujarat was well-positioned to play a key role in this journey because of its strong industrial base, skilled workforce and entrepreneurial ecosystem. Referring to ongoing defence manufacturing in the state, he highlighted the Tata-Airbus C-295 aircraft facility in Vadodara and the production of the K-9 Vajra self-propelled artillery platform.
The defence minister also stressed that future warfare and economic growth would increasingly be driven by semiconductor technologies, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, cybersecurity and space technologies, expressing confidence that Gujarat's semiconductor ecosystem would strengthen India's technological sovereignty.
