Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, on Saturday, commended the Indian Army for showing ”unmatched bravery” during the Galwan Valley and Tawang incidents with China.
Addressing the 95th Annual Convention of the Federation of Indian Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in New Delhi, he asserted that India has no intention to capture the land of other countries, but would always be ready if anyone tried to cast an evil eye on the country. ”India aims to become a superpower which works for the welfare of the world,” he said.
Rajnath stated that India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was touching new heights of success and has entered the category of ‘fabulous five’ from ‘fragile five’, coined by investment firm Morgan Stanley, in 2014.
“India is now among the top five economies of the world. It took us 31 years from 1991 to become a three trillion Dollar economy. I am confident that the next three trillion dollars are going to be added in the next seven years,” he said.
The minister added that India has now become an agenda-setter on the world stage due to the Prime Minister’s credibility and decision-making.
India’s G-20 presidency was a proof of India’s growing stature. “The theme of G-20 is ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’ through which an inclusive and decisive road map of development will be decided. Inspired by the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam and world welfare, our Prime Minister has decided to share India’s resolve for economic and human development with countries that have not yet recovered from COVID-19,” he said.
Rajnath highlighted the procedural and structural reforms made by the government which has prepared the ground for a big leap towards a strong, prosperous and self-reliant ‘New India”. He made a special mention of the creation of a digital financial infrastructure, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Direct Benefit Transfer & Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, which have proved to be a boon for the people, especially the poor.
The minister listed a number of reforms undertaken by the Ministry of Defence to strengthen the Indian defence sector, including simplifying FDI norms.
Rajnath pointed out that the reforms have delivered desired results and defence exports have registered a seven-fold increase in the last six years. He said all efforts were being made to increase defence production from $12 billion to $22 billion by 2025.