SOURCE: TIMES NOW
Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat on Thursday referred to India’s collective response to COVID-19 pandemic and said the country was capable of overcoming any challenges and threats to its national security. Speaking at a webinar on ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ as part of the defence industry outreach, Gen Rawat also noted that the country was capable of manufacturing high-end indigenous weapon systems.
“India today is facing numerous challenges and threats. Our collective response to COVID-19 has firmly established our ability to overcome any such unforeseeable eventuality. We’ve capability, capacity and will to produce high-end indigenous weapon systems. With government’s push in the right direction and vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ being promulgated, this is the time to see this opportunity to achieve self-efficiency and becoming net exporter of defence equipment,” the CDS told the webinar.
Underlining the armed forces’ commitment to indigenisation of weapons and equipment, the CDS noted that the Indian soldier would be happy to win a war with technologies developed in the country.
“The armed forces are committed to supporting the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. Nothing will give us greater satisfaction than fighting and coming out victorious in wars with indigenous developed technologies and equipment,” Gen Rawat stated.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also spoke during the defence industry outreach webinar and said the Narendra Modi government is aiming to make India self-reliant in defence manufacturing. The minister noted the recent ‘bold reforms’ announced as part of the initiative.
“We want to become self-reliant to contribute to the world in a better way. In this direction, some bold policy reforms have been taken like the ban on import of 101 defence items. I am confident that through our collaborative and cooperative efforts, we will not only achieve ‘Make in India’ but also ‘Make for World’,” Singh said.
The remarks came even as it was learned that the Ministry of Defence is working to bringing out by the end of this year another list of military platforms and weapons whose imports would be barred in order to encourage their domestic production.
The ministry is already in talks with key stakeholders like the defence public sector undertakings, private industries, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the three services on framing the second negative arms import list.
Earlier this month, the ministry had announced a ban on import of 101 weapons and military platforms like transport aircraft, light combat helicopters, conventional submarines, cruise missiles and sonar systems by 2024 as part of the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative.
