President lauds defence indigenisation, govt’s record on national security
1 min read . Updated: 31 Jan 2023, 12:43 PM IST
PremiumPresident Murmu referred to the induction of INS Vikrant as the first swadeshi aircraft carrier. It was commissioned in September last year by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday praised the government’s record on defence indigenisation and highlighted the success of the Narendra Modi government’s signature Atmanirbhar Bharat programme.
In her address in Parliament at the beginning of the Budget session, the President said India’s defence exports had increase six-fold over the last few years. Between 2017 and 2021, India’s defence exports increased from ₹1,520 crore to ₹8,435 crore.
In 2021-22, this number crossed ₹14,000 crore according to an announcement by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
The country has also made prominent defence export deals in the last few years, including the sale of BrahMos missiles to the Philippines.
Speaking on the Atmanirbhar Bharat program, President Murmu referred to the induction of INS Vikrant as the first “swadeshi" aircraft carrier. INS Vikrant, which was the country’s first indigenously manufactured aircraft carrier, was commissioned in September last year by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Built at the cost of ₹20,000 crore, INS Vikrant is the largest warship in India’s naval arsenal. The carrier, which was built by scores of domestic manufacturers, represented a major step forward for the country’s defence indigenisation ambitions.
She noted that India’s border infrastructure had improved a great deal despite the presence of geographic challenges. Since the border standoff with China in the summer of 2020, the speed of border infrastructure development has increased with a particular focus on India’s Northeastern states like Arunachal Pradesh.
In both the North-East and Kashmir, the government had taken positive steps to ensure a stable peace and counter terrorism, the President said. This was a particularly important goal given the threat posed by terrorism to development.
