09:09
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday pitched for making India a global hub for defence manufacturing, placing special emphasis on self-reliance in advanced capabilities such as hypersonic technology and drone systems.
In his Independence Day address from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Modi said expanding domestic production is critical to boosting India's strategic strength.
"We have to become a global supplier by leveraging next-generation defence technology," he said.
The prime minister underlined the importance of India achieving expertise in the production of drones, counter-drone systems, and hypersonic technologies.
Modi also mentioned the country's rising volume of defence production.
In the last few years, the government has rolled out a series of policy initiatives to boost domestic defence manufacturing.
The volume of India's domestic defence production was recorded at Rs 1.78 lakh crore in the financial year 2025-26 as against Rs 46,000 crore in 2014, according to the latest government data.
The defence exports reached Rs 38,424 crore in the financial year 2025-26.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said that military projects worth over Rs 8.75 lakh crore have been approved in the last one year as the Modi government is committed to modernising the armed forces. -- PTI
