Army Chief Gen Naravane hails Aatmanirbhar Bharat for rapid modernisation in Indian Army

Underlining the country's significant progress in the field of indigenous production of defence systems and mechanisms, Chief of Army Staff, General Manoj Mukund Naravane, on Monday said that the Indian Army has been undergoing full-fledged modernisation. He said that the Armed Forces has been increasingly looking at indigenous solutions for its operational needs.

Discoursing at a webinar organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the Army Chief said that the Indian Army will lead the way in fulfilling the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

Naravane hails Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative

He lauded the initiative and said it has given a boost to the revival of the economy. "The government's AatmaNirbhar Bharat initiative has given the much-needed national stimulus and a fresh lease of energy to inspire the revival of the domestic industry," Naravane said.

The Army Chief added that India has an expanding industrial base and said that he was confident that most of the core requirements of defence equipment can now be met in the country itself.

"I wish you to congratulate the FICCI for its constant endeavours in facilitating the defence industry," Naravane said. Chairman, FICCI Defence and Aerospace Committee SP Shukla at the annual webinar on Army Make Projects also spoke at the event. Present in the webinar was also Lieutenant-General Shantanu Dayal, DCOAS (CD&S).

PM Modi bats for self-reliance in Nowshera

While stating that over 200 equipment will be homegrown and 'Made in India', PM Modi during his visit to Nowshera recently had reaffirmed his commitment to achieving self-reliance in the defence sector. He said, "Unfortunately, it was taken for granted previously that we will get everything only from abroad. We had to compromise when it comes to technology and spend more money. The process of procuring defence weapons and equipment would go on for years together. That is, the file would not be cleared even after an officer retired".

Revealing that 65% of the defence budget is now being spent on procuring indigenous defence equipment, he appreciated the fact that Arjun tanks and light combat aircraft like Tejas are being manufactured in India now.

With ANI Inputs

Image: PTI