India sourced military hardware worth Rs 1.20 lakh crore in 2024-25: Rajnath Singh

The defence minister said the Modi government has taken several policy initiatives in the last 10 years to encourage indigenous design, development, and manufacturing of defence equipment in the country.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh holds a rifle during the inauguration of a national-level conference on 'Opportunities of Defence Manufacturing in the country', at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi Photo | PTI

NEW DELHI: India procured military hardware and weapons worth Rs 1,20,000 crore from domestic sources by end of 2024-25 as it is increasingly focusing on boosting self-reliance to confront national security challenges, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday.

In an address at an event, Singh said the government is fully aware of the changing dynamics of battle field, especially the importance of non-contact warfare such as use of drones, and preparing for it accordingly.

In this context, he underlined the importance of enhancing India's own defence industries to meet myriad security challenges.

"In 2021-22, our capital acquisition from domestic sources was around Rs 74,000 crore, but by the end of 2024-25, the capital acquisition from domestic sources has increased to approximately Rs 1,20,000 crore," he said.

"This change is not just about data, but also about mindset," he said.

The defence minister said the Modi government has taken several policy initiatives in the last 10 years to encourage indigenous design, development, and manufacturing of defence equipment in the country.

Under these initiatives, the highest priority is now being given to domestic sourcing in procurement of military hardware, he noted.

"The government of India is fully aware of the changing nature of modern warfare. Today's warfare has become completely technology-oriented. We have seen a demonstration of this in Operation Sindoor as well," he said.

"In this, we observed that the importance of non-contact warfare, such as drones, anti-drone warfare, and air-defense systems, has significantly increased," he said.

Singh also listed goals in the defence sector to realise India's overall aim to become a developed country by 2047.

"First is that we must achieve a high degree of self-reliance in the critical defence capabilities. Second, we must become a prominent global exporter in the defence sector," he said.

"Third, to take India forward in cutting-edge technology sectors, we must achieve advancements in some new niche technologies," he said.