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India's top military officer General Anil Chauhan has urged the nation's defence industry to increase its technological know-how to meet the future challenges of the country's armed forces.
General Chauhan, who serves as the Chief of Defence Staff, the highest rank in India's tri-services, comprising the Army, Navy, and Air Force, to develop weapons platforms that are in line with the operational, climatic, and terrain-related requirements of the world's largest democratic sovereign state's armed forces.
"India's challenges must be resolved with Indian solutions as a series of contemporary events have exposed the vulnerability of global supply chains," he said on the sidelines of an Avionics Exposition held in New Delhi on Thursday.
"A number of steps are being taken to strengthen the defence industrial capabilities under the 'Aatmanirbharta' initiative. We are boosting our indigenous and innovative defence capabilities," he added.
Since assuming power in 2014, the Narendra Modi-led government has repeatedly emphasized developing a robust defence industry in India to achieve self-reliance in the military domain.
Last year, India joined a select group of countries that can domestically build aircraft carriers following the commissioning of INS Vikrant into the Indian Navy.
Amongst other weapons platforms that India is making locally are the LCA Tejas warplanes, Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers, a variety of missiles, including the supersonic BrahMos in a joint venture with Russia, etc.