‘Being Atmanirbhar need of the hour’: J&K LG Manoj Sinha on defence sector

Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) [India] September 11 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday said that being Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) in the defence sector is the ‘need of the hour.’ 

“We have fought four wars including Kargil. The way warfare is changing and technology is advancing, I think it is a need of the hour that our country makes such decisions. A target has been set by Prime Minister Modi and the Defence Minister that India will get up to 70 per cent self-reliance in this field by 2027,” the Lieutenant Governor said in a press conference in Jammu.

Noting that India has already exported defence equipment worth Rs 16,000 crores, Manoj Sinha said, “We have also become the exporter now with (defence) exports worth Rs 16,000 crores. Our country is progressing in that direction. I think India will be Atmanirbhar completely. This is the need of the hour and need of the country.”

Earlier in the day, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan said that the day is not far when India will emerge to be one of the major defence producers in the world. Chauhan was speaking at the North Tech Symposium in Jammu.

“We started this ‘Aatmanirbharta’ business only a few years ago. The results are there for all of us to see…If we go along this particular path, the day is not far when we will be one of the major defence producers, equipment producers in the world,” CDS General Anil Chauhan said. 

The CDS General shared that during the G20 Summit, the anti-drone systems deployed by the Indian armed forces were picked up from “operational places”. 

“G20 Summit has been successfully conducted. At the Summit venue and airport large number of anti-drone systems were deployed by the Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Indian Navy. Those systems have actually been picked up from operational places – air bases, borders – and then they were deployed. So, the armed forces were cognizant of this problem and they have procured this equipment in sufficient quantity to meet the immediate requirements,” CDS General Anil Chauhan said. 

Anil Chauhan also added that the ammunition displayed at the exhibition has been procured not only for target practice but will also be used operationally. 

“I wish you go around this particular exhibition more closely. You will find ammunition which have a range of 100 kilometres. People have procured this. People haven’t procured this for only target practice. They have to be used operationally. All that you see here, some of them you will find as part of our inventory at some particular point in time,” the CDS General said.