New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi witnessed exercise “Bharat Shakti” in Pokhran on Tuesday, where the Army, Navy and Air Force displayed the prowess of indigenously manufactured defence weapons under the “atma nirbharta” campaign.The exercise demonstrated the indigenous capability of the three services through an integrated tri-service firepower and manoeuvre exercise for about 50 minutes at thePokhran field firing range. Roars of LCA Tejas and ALH Mk-IV filled the air while main battle tank Arjun and K-9 Vajra, Dhanush and Sharang artillery gun systems ruled the firing ranges on the ground.Speaking on the occasion, Mr Modi attacked the Congress, saying that during their rule at the Centre they ignored the defence sector.”One misfortune after Independence was that those who ruled the country for decades were not serious about the security of the country. The situation was such that after Independence, the country’s first major scam took place during procurement for the Army,” said the Prime Minister.Mr Modi said that the Congress deliberately kept India dependent on foreign countries for its defence needs.”Atma nirbharta for India’s defence needs is the guarantee of self-confidence in the armed forces,” Mr Modi said, adding that the energy of the armed forces increases manifold when the weapons and equipment used during wars are made indigenously.The Prime Minister said that in the last 10 years, equipment worth Rs 6-lakh crores has been procured from Indian companies. During this period, defence production in the country has doubled to more than `1-lakh crores. In the last 10 years, more than 150 defence startups have started and defence forces have given them orders worth Rs 1,800 crores.Recalling the time when India used to be the largest defence importer in the world, the Prime Minister highlighted India’s emergence as a defence exporter and an eight-fold increase in the country’s defence exports compared to 2014.He said that the valour and skills on display today during Bharat Shakti are the call of new India. “Today, once again, Pokhran became a witness to the triveni of India’s atma nirbharta, self-confidence and its glory,” he said.The Prime Minister said: “The same Pokhran that witnessed India’s nuclear test is today witnessing the power of indigenisation.”Mr Modi said that the success of atma nirbharta in defence can be seen with India’s tanks, cannons, fighter jets, helicopters and missile systems, which reflect India’s strength.”We are experiencing the flight of Made in India with arms and ammunition, communication devices, cyber and space. This is indeed Bharat Shakti,” said the Prime Minister.In his address, the Prime Minister also mentioned indigenously made Tejas fighter jets, advanced light combat helicopters, submarines, destroyers, aircraft carriers, advanced Arjun tanks and cannons. Speaking about the successful test firing of the long-range Agni missile equipped with advanced MIRV technology on Monday, the Prime Minister said that only a handful of countries in the world have a hold of this new-age technology.”The idea of ‘Viksit Bharat’ is unimaginable without ‘atma nirbhar Bharat’,” the Prime Minister said, underscoring the need to reduce dependence on others.Noting that exercise Bharat Shakti is a step towards this resolution, Mr Modi said that India is laying emphasis on atma nirbharta from edible oils to fighter jets.In the last 10 years, the Prime Minister said that India has produced its own fighter jet, aircraft carriers, C-295 transport aircraft and advanced flight engines.Referring to the recent Cabinet decision to design, develop and manufacture 5th generation fighter jets in India, the Prime Minister envisioned the growth of the defence sector and the numerous employment and self-employment opportunities to be created in the future.Recalling the atmosphere of defence scams, scarcity of ammunition and deterioration of ordnance factories before 2014, the Prime Minister mentioned the corporatisation of the ordnance factories into seven big companies.Mr Modi also talked about HAL, which was brought back from the brink and turned into a company with record profits. He also mentioned the creation of CDS, the establishment of the War Memorial and border infrastructure.”Families of service personnel from the armed forces have experienced the meaning of Modi’s guarantee,” the Prime Minister said, mentioning the implementation of the One Rank One Pension. He added that 1.75-lakh defence personnel from Rajasthan have received the benefit of Rs 5,000 crores under the OROP. Mr Modi emphasised that the strength of the armed forces increases in proportion to the economic muscle of the nation. He said that when India becomes the third-largest economy in the world, its defence prowess will also touch new heights.
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