NEW DELHI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd February, 2021) The Indian government is committed to bolstering the domestic production of defense infrastructure to reduce reliance on other countries, Rajnath Singh, India's minister of defense, said Wednesday.
Speaking at the Aero India 2021 airshow in Bengaluru, Singh said that the defense sector would play a core part in the self-reliant India program, also known as Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.
"We have taken many steps to strengthen our security apparatus recently. Domestic manufacturing of bigger and complex defense platforms has now become the focus of our policy under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan," Singh said.
The defense minister reiterated the Indian government's commitment to spend $130 billion modernizing the country's military over the next seven to eight years. New Delhi is hoping to achieve a defense turnover of $23.9 billion by 2024, driven by $4.8 billion in aerospace exports, he said.
Singh also noted the Indian Air Force's order for 83 new Tejas MK 1A Light Combat Aircraft, which are produced domestically by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, which he said was potentially the largest "Make in India" defense contract to date.
Representatives from more than 55 countries are participating at the Aero India 2021 airshow, Singh said, writing in a later Tweet that the defense ministers of Ukraine, Iran, Madagascar, and the Maldives were attending the event in person.
The 2021 edition of the Aero India airshow, which is held biennially, is set to run from Wednesday through Friday at the Yelahanka airbase in the city of Bengaluru.
