Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said that for India, zero tolerance against terrorism is not merely a statement but a firm line of action. Speaking at the Forces First Conclave in New Delhi today, Mr Singh said that India will strike terrorists not only at its doorstep but, if necessary, by entering their hideouts.
He added that the entire world witnessed this during Operation Sindoor and it was a remarkable example of technological warfare. Mr Singh said the operation involved the use of advanced missile systems, including Akashteer, the Akash missile system and BrahMos, along with several other state-of-the-art defence equipment.
The Minister highlighted that over the past twelve years, the Narendra Modi government has made the revival and strengthening of the defence sector one of its top priorities. Mr Singh noted that the government had resolved not only to strengthen India’s defence preparedness but also to reduce the country’s dependence on imports to meet its defence requirements.
The Minister said that 75 per cent of the budget earmarked for the modernisation of the Armed Forces has been reserved for procurement from Indian industry. He added that the government will introduce a new Defence Acquisition Procedure this year, which will provide fresh momentum and strength to defence production in the country.
The defence minister said that the country’s defence production has reached a record level of nearly one lakh 78 thousand crore rupees, compared to around 40 thousand crore rupees in 2014. He said that the government has set a target of surpassing the milestone of two lakh crore rupees in defence production this year.
