New Delhi: India has traversed a long distance from being a major importer of defence equipment to a manufacturer and exporter of platforms in all domains, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday.
In a meeting with trainee officers of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS)-2025 Batch at South Block here, the minister voiced the government’s determination for expanding the capacity of indigenous defence industry for both local production and exports under ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, and the crucial role played by Indian diplomats in realising the vision.
Rajnath Singh highlighted that the global comity of nations is closely following India’s growth story and looking up to its leadership role.
According to a Defence Ministry statement, the minister encouraged the officers to work with honesty and integrity to further India’s positive image.
Defence Minister told them that, while conducting their duties abroad, they should always remember that they represent the aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians.
He urged them to remain open to new ideas, people, and perspectives from every culture and carry with them the values of India’s civilisational wisdom. He also congratulated them for putting in hard work to join the coveted IFS.
The trainee officers were briefed on various defence diplomacy initiatives, defence budget, Tri-service integration and defence acquisition by officials from verticals of the Ministry of Defence.
Meanwhile, the government announced an allocation of Rs 7.8 lakh crore for the country’s defence sector in the Union Budget for 2026-27, representing a 15 per cent increase over the corresponding figure of Rs 6.81 lakh crore for the previous financial year.
The defence forces have been allocated Rs 2.19 lakh crore for the purchase of military hardware as part of the capital outlay in the Budget, which constitutes a 21.8 per cent increase compared with the Rs 1.80 lakh crore allocated in FY 2025-26.
The increased outlay comes against the backdrop of Operation Sindoor and the changing geopolitical landscape. The approach is also in line with the government’s push for an ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, or self-reliant India, by encouraging indigenous research and manufacturing.
(IANS)
