New Delhi: With an aim to attain self reliance in the field of defence production, India procured military hardware and weapons worth Rs 1.2 lakh crore from domestic sources in 2024-25, defence minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday.
Speaking at an event, he said that the government is focusing on boosting self-reliance to confront national security challenges and is fully aware of the changing dynamics of the battle field, especially the importance of non-contact warfare such as use of drones. The country is preparing for it accordingly, Singh said.
“In 2021-22, our capital acquisition from domestic sources was around Rs 74,000 crore, but by the end of 2024-25, the capital acquisition from domestic sources has increased to approximately Rs 1.2 lakh crore,” the minister said.
“This change is not just about data, but also about mindset,” he added.
He went on to say that the Modi government has taken several policy initiatives in the last 10 years to encourage indigenous design, development, and manufacturing of defence equipment in the country.
Under these initiatives, the highest priority is now being given to domestic sourcing in procurement of military hardware, he noted.
“The government of India is fully aware of the changing nature of modern warfare. Today’s warfare has become completely technology-oriented. We have seen a demonstration of this in Operation Sindoor as well,” Singh said.
“In this, we observed that the importance of non-contact warfare, such as drones, anti-drone warfare, and air-defense systems, has significantly increased,” he said.
The minister also listed goals in the defence sector to realise India’s overall aim to become a developed country by 2047.
“First of all, we must achieve a high degree of self-reliance in critical defence capabilities. Secondly, we must become a prominent global exporter in the defence sector. The third aim is to take India forward in cutting-edge technology sectors by achieving advancements in some new niche technologies,” Singh said.
