NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday claimed that India is continuously strengthening its technological capabilities and scaling new heights in defence production, military exports and political cooperation with friendly nations.
In his monthly radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’, broadcast, coincidentally, on the day the nation paid tribute to the immortal martyrs of the 1999 Kargil War, the Prime Minister spoke about INS Magendragiri, which was recently inducted into the Indian Navy.
“This modern warship has been designed and built in India itself. More than 75% of the materials used in it are indigenous. It is a symbol of the growing strength of an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’,” he said. The PM also referred to the success of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which successfully tested the Pinaka Long-Range Guided Rocket and recently conducted the successful test of the Kusha missile. He said that global confidence in India’s defence equipment and technology is steadily increasing.
“Whether it is defence production, defence exports, or political cooperation with friendly nations—India is continuously scaling new heights. Earlier this month, I was in Indonesia, where a major agreement regarding BrahMos and Astra missiles was concluded. Global confidence in India’s defence equipment and technology is growing,” he asserted.
He highlighted the special ‘Shaurya Vijay Yatra’, which originated on July 14 from the National War Memorial in Delhi as a motorcycle rally travelling to the Kargil War Memorial in Dras, carrying the message of “One Ride, One Nation, One Salute”. He said, “This journey reminds us that the sacrifice made for the nation can never be forgotten.”
‘Border villages first’
PM Narendra Modi on Sunday said his government regards border villages as the country’s first villages, underlining their strategic and cultural importance. Addressing virtually at the Viksit Vibrant Village Programme, the PM said the initiative aims to instil a deeper sense of nation-building among the youth.
