India should not rely on defence imports, says Rajnath Singh

TIL Desk/National/New Delhi/ India cannot and should not rely on imports of military hardware and the government is committed to achieve self-reliance in defence production to remain prepared to deal with any future security challenges, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday.

He also noted that ‘Atmanirbharta’ (self-reliance) does not mean isolation from the rest of the world, but ensures national security and strategic autonomy through a modern military.

The Defence Minister was addressing a conference of defence attaches (DAs) posted in Indian missions across the globe. The conference was also attended by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and the three service chiefs.

In his address, Mr. Singh described the defence attaches as the bridge between India and friendly foreign countries for mutual defence cooperation. He also urged them to showcase the capabilities of the Indian defence industry in their countries of postings.