Inaugurating his tenure with a resolute stance, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh underlined the paramountcy of fortifying national security through a twin-pronged strategy: modernizing our armed forces and invigorating indigenous defence production. Embracing the helm for the subsequent five years, Singh articulated an ambitious trajectory, vowing to propel defence exports to a staggering Rs 50,000 crore by the fiscal year 2028-2029, a substantial leap from the extant Rs 21,083 crore.
Eminently equipped with cutting-edge weaponry and platforms, our armed forces stand poised to confront any exigency, affirmed Singh, in his second consecutive term at the helm of defence affairs. He extolled the gallantry and dedication of our military personnel, lauding their unwavering vigilance in safeguarding our nation’s unity, integrity, and sovereignty, against the backdrop of simmering tensions with China along the eastern Ladakh border.
“Under the astute leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, our resolve is steadfast: to fortify the nation’s security architecture, fostering indigenization in defence manufacturing,” declared Singh. “The modernization of our armed forces and the well-being of our valiant soldiers, both serving and retired, remain our lodestar,” he emphasized to the press.
Singh, alongside senior BJP stalwarts like Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, and Nirmala Sitharaman, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to bolstering India’s defence prowess. “The surge in defence exports, scaling a historic high of Rs 21,083 crore in the fiscal year 2023-2024, underscores our resolute trajectory. Our aim now is to vault beyond the Rs 50,000 crore milestone by 2028-2029,” he proclaimed.
At his ceremonial induction at South Block in Raisina Hills, Singh was warmly greeted by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande, Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Tripathi, Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane, and DRDO Chairman Samir V Kamat.
Wasting no time, Singh convened a high-level meeting to delineate the ministry’s first 100 days’ action plan. Central to the discourse was the welfare of veterans, with meticulous deliberation on pivotal issues concerning the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare. Impelling the attending officers to redouble their efforts, Singh exhorted them to fervently pursue the outlined agenda.