Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke about how India responded to China at the Galwan Valley and asserted India’s growing military might while speaking at Veer Shiromani Maharana Pratap Mahasammelan in Sambhaji Nagar on Sunday. Singh also recalled the valour and sacrifice of Maharana Pratap, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Sambhaji Maharaj while reflecting on India’s growth as a country.
“What a miracle Maharana Pratap did in Haldighati. I do not want to go into details but I want to say that be it Haldighati or Galwan valley, India’s head has always been held high and will remain so,” the minister said. He also said that India sent a clear message to China and aggressors like it that “we will stand eye to eye and won’t spare the enemy if disturbed.”
He also highlighted India’s geopolitical influence when it evacuated thousands of Indians stuck in Ukraine due to the war. India launched Operation Ganga and brought back Indians including students who were left stranded after Russia’s invasion on February 24, 2022. “PM Narendra Modi spoke to (Russian president Vladimir) Putin and (Ukraine president Volodymyr) Zelensky. He also spoke to (US president Joe) Biden when needed. The war stopped briefly and Indian students in Ukraine could return home,” he said.
Growth of India defence-wise
In his address, the Defence Minister also reflected on the growth of India’s defence sector and the jump in exports. He said that the defence exports went from Rs 900 crore in 2014 to about Rs 1,600 crore by 2022-23 as India is shipping hardware to 85 countries now. This makes for a tenfold increase in the exports from 2016-17 when Rs 1,521 crores worth of hardware were shipped out of India. The ministry has set a goal of increasing the exports to Rs 35,000 crore by 2025.
The equipment being exported are Dornier-228 aircraft, 155 mm Advanced Towed Artillery Guns (ATAGs), Brahmos missiles, Akash Missile System, radars, simulators, Mine Protected Vehicles, armoured vehicles, Pinaka rockets and launchers, ammunitions, Thermal Imagers, body armours, and smaller arms. Other platforms like the Tejas jet, Light Combat Helicopters, and Aircraft Carrier also have a global demand, says the defence ministry. Apart from the economy, India also has the second-largest standing army in the world after China.
