Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday called upon Indian and global industry leaders to support the government’s endeavour to design, develop and manufacture cutting-edge products, using critical technologies, within the country to attain complete ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence, with the overall objective of achieving shared global peace and prosperity.

He was addressing over 70 CEOs of local and global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) during a round table organised as part of Aero India 2023 in Bengaluru.

Rajnath asserted that India does not want to remain just an assembly workshop and is looking to engage with friendly countries in defence and security based on sharing expertise and capabilities under the ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He assured industry leaders that the government is open to new ideas and is committed to fully harnessing the energy, entrepreneurial spirit and capability of private sector partners in the area of defence production. He extended the government’s full support to removing obstacles and facilitating businesses.

Rajnath voiced the government’s resolve to nurture a vibrant and world-class defence manufacturing industry, terming it the key driver of the Indian economy. He enumerated a number of far-reaching reforms undertaken by the Ministry of Defence to create a business-friendly climate in the country. These reforms, he said, will enable Indian defence products to compete with established global defence and aerospace companies.

The Defence Minister stressed that indigenisation is the mantra for India today, unlike in the past when import was the default option. He appreciated the growing enthusiasm and greater participation of private players in defence production and expressed confidence that the CEOs round table will sow the seeds of successful new ventures and partnerships, boost investment, expand indigenous manufacturing and bolster the aerospace and defence ecosystem in India. He stated that the partnership between the government and the Industry is based on equality and mutual trust.