Modi govt leaving no stone unturned to realise dream of New India: Rajnath

The Narendra Modi government is leaving no stone unturned to realise the "dream of a New India" that is not dependent on any country to fulfil its needs, especially those related to security, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday.

During an event in Delhi, he also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' is "making India one of the strongest and most respected countries in the world" and exuded confidence that the country will achieve the target of `1.75-lakh crore of defence production by 2025.

Underlining the steps taken by the defence ministry to achieve 'Aatmanirbharta' (self-reliance) in defence, Singh said, "The issuance of three positive indigenisation lists of 310 items and encouraging the private sector to become a part of the nation's growth story is testament to the government's unwavering commitment to provide the armed forces with indigenously-developed state-ofthe-art weapons and platforms, and equip them to deal with future challenges."

The domestic industry has the capacity and capability to manufacture the latest defence platforms in water, land, sky and space in the next few years, and the "government is making all efforts to provide them with the necessary environment," he was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the ministry.

He also lauded the "timely and bold decisions" taken by Modi which, he said, have "transformed India's image in the world from a silent observer to an assertor and provider". "Defence exports, which were once `1,900 crore, have now crossed `13,000 crore," the defence minister noted.

He exuded confidence India will be "achieving the target of `1.75-lakh crore of defence production by 2025, which includes export of `35,000 crore". He made special mention of the country's first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, with 76 per cent indigenous content.