No Power Can Stop India From Becoming Top Arms Exporter: Rajnath Singh
Defence Minister says India is moving rapidly towards self-reliance in weapons manufacturing
- Rajnath Singh inaugurates ammunition manufacturing unit in Shirdi
- Defence Minister says India can become biggest arms exporter in 25-30 years
- Private sector share in defence manufacturing rises to 30 per cent
- New facility expected to generate employment for 2,000 people
GG News Bureau
Shirdi, 23rd May: Rajnath Singh on Saturday said no power can stop India from becoming one of the world’s largest exporters of defence equipment within the next 25 to 30 years.
The Defence Minister made the remarks after inaugurating an ammunition manufacturing unit in Shirdi.
Highlighting India’s growing defence capabilities, Singh said a country that manufactures its own weapons writes its own future and strengthens its strategic independence.
He noted that India was once primarily known as an importer of weapons but is now rapidly emerging as a major defence manufacturing hub.
“The private sector is not just a supplier of nuts and bolts in defence, but also a producer of state-of-the-art weapons systems,” Singh said.
The Defence Minister said the role of private companies in defence manufacturing was negligible a few years ago but has now increased to nearly 25-30 per cent.
He added that the government aims to further raise private sector participation to 50 per cent in the coming years.
Singh stressed that alignment between the government’s vision and private sector innovation would help India reach new heights in defence production and automation.
“All have to work together to make India the hub of munitions and automation,” he said.
Referring to India’s historical association with defence manufacturing, Singh recalled that potassium nitrate from India was used by the British East India Company for gunpowder production.
He said that despite having ordnance factories before Independence, India’s defence industry did not fully modernise after 1947 because opportunities remained largely limited to public sector undertakings and ordnance factories.
The minister highlighted several reforms undertaken by the Central government to promote private participation, including liberalised foreign direct investment norms, strategic partnership models and indigenisation policies.
He said the government has prepared a positive indigenisation list of nearly 5,000 items that must be procured domestically by the armed forces.
Singh also said the government is encouraging young innovators and startups to contribute to the defence sector.
Calling the new facility a milestone, he said a “golden chapter” of self-reliance is being written in India’s defence and space sectors.
The manufacturing unit, built on nearly 200 acres in Ahilyanagar district, will produce artillery bombshells and support aerospace manufacturing.
According to officials, the project is expected to generate direct and indirect employment for around 2,000 people and support micro, small and medium enterprises.
Anil Chauhan and Devendra Fadnavis were also present during the event.
Singh and Fadnavis later visited the Shirdi Sai Baba Temple.
