We cannot depend on any country in the defense sector: Rajnath Singh!

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh says that now our thinking should not be about what India has to buy from the world. Our thinking should be what the world wants to buy from India. We saw an example of how important indigenous weapons are for us during Operation Sindoor. The world witnessed the potential of India's indigenous weapon systems during Operation Sindoor.

Rajnath Singh said this while laying the foundation stone of five defense projects on Sunday. The foundation stones of which were laid are 5 new facilities of West Bengal-based GRSE and Yantra India Limited. GRSE is one of the major warship building establishments in the country. GRSE has experience in building more than 800 ships. Here Rajnath Singh said, our aim should be that the quality should be such that the world trusts, the price is such that the world chooses and the delivery is such that the world orders again and again.

He said GRSE has the technical know-how, skilled workforce and will now also have expanded capacity. You have to make full use of it. You are currently building 12 cargo ships for a German company, along with a Navy order. This is exactly in line with our Make in India, Make for the World vision. As your capacity grows, you will have to bid more aggressively in both domestic and international markets.

Rajnath Singh said, “Going forward, our laboratories, our PSUs, and private stakeholders, together with the Defense Ministry, will leave no stone unturned in equipping our forces with indigenous platforms. We have proved that self-reliance is not just a policy. Self-reliance is a multiplier of battlefield capability. And the role of GRSE, and Yantra India Limited, in this initiative is going to be extremely important.”

The Defense Minister said that if we become the hub of ship repair and overhaul in the Indian Ocean region, thousands of jobs will be created along with saving foreign exchange. Even today, the warships we built are sailing through conflict zones around the world, helping to secure our energy supplies. He said that we cannot depend on any country in the defense sector. Our own indigenous companies and research institutions will have to achieve complete dominance in this sector. And today's five projects are reflecting the same strategic autonomy.

Rajnath Singh said, “Today, we are performing the bhoomi pujan and laying the foundation stone of five very important projects costing approximately Rs 3.5 thousand crores. These include three new shipbuilding facilities of GRSE – Raichak Shipyard, Timber Pond Howrah Shipbuilding Facility and Damodar Complex Shipbuilding Facility.

Along with this, the foundation stone of two state-of-the-art metallurgical facilities of Yantra India Limited, 3,000 tonne capacity hydraulic open die forging press and radial forging plant, is also being laid. These five projects are going to strengthen the spirit of self-reliance, Make in India and Make for the World.”

He said that institutions like GRSE and Yantra India Limited are proof that the industrial base of Bengal is getting stronger again. These projects, starting from here, will not only increase defense production but will also create employment opportunities for MSMEs, allied industries and thousands of people. If seen in a way, these projects are going to emerge as a new chapter in the socio-economic progress of Bengal.