India Must Prioritise Quality to Win Over Global Defence Market: Rajnath Singh
© AP Photo / Suhaimi Abdullah
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Since taking office in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spearheaded a bold initiative for India to achieve self-sufficiency in the defence sector and establish itself as a leading exporter of military hardware.
In pursuit of its goal to secure military equipment exports worth $5 billion by 2025, India's Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, stressed on Wednesday that ensuring exceptional quality in the manufacturing of weapons is crucial for establishing credibility on the international arms market.
He pointed out that only state-of-the-art military hardware creates demand across continents, which he underlined will go a long way in fulfilling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream of transforming the country into a global production hub of defence goods and a net exporter of arms and ammunition.
He pointed out that only state-of-the-art military hardware creates demand across continents, which he underlined will go a long way in fulfilling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream of transforming the country into a global production hub of defence goods and a net exporter of arms and ammunition.
"Cost control should be given utmost importance; however it should not be at the expense of quality. We have to be globally cost-competitive, but it has to be done by remaining in the top-quality segment. We must move forward with this idea," Singh said during an event organized by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in New Delhi.
The minister added that the production of top-of-the-line military hardware would enhance the South Asian sovereign state's reputation in the world.
India's military exports nearly touched the $2 billion mark last fiscal, according to an official statement. It was a sharp jump from the mere $82 million worth of defense exports during 2013-2014 before Modi took over the reins of the world's largest democratic nation.
India's military exports nearly touched the $2 billion mark last fiscal, according to an official statement. It was a sharp jump from the mere $82 million worth of defense exports during 2013-2014 before Modi took over the reins of the world's largest democratic nation.
