The Defence Minister referred to the 2016 surgical strikes and the 2019 Balakot airstrikes

India is no longer weak and is fully equipped to deal with all kinds of threats and challenges, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh asserted on Tuesday.

India has never attacked any country, nor has it captured an inch of foreign land, but if anyone ever tries to harm the sovereignty, unity & integrity of the Nation, a befitting reply will be given, Singh said while addressing an event in Udaipur, Rajasthan.

He pointed out that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India had been transformed into a strong, confident & self-reliant nation.

"It is the result of the last eight years that India is no longer weak. We clarified our stand on terrorism when our Armed Forces, displaying tremendous might, carried out surgical strikes in 2016 and Balakot airstrikes in 2019. It was a proof that India's military prowess is no less than any country,” Singh said.

He assured the nation that the armed forces are deployed with full readiness to protect the people from anti-India elements.

Talking about self-reliance, Singh listed a number of steps taken by the Ministry of Defence to promote ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence, including the issue of three positive indigenisation lists of 310 items and earmarking 68 per cent of capital procurement budget for domestic industry in Union Budget 2022-23. He added that foreign companies are being encouraged to manufacture in India under the ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ vision to strengthen the domestic defence industry.

During his address, Singh also pointed out that India is not only catering to its own needs, but is also fulfilling the requirements of other countries.

Defence exports, which were worth about Rs 900 crore eight years ago, have now grown to around Rs 13,000 crore, he said. He added that a target of Rs 2.75 lakh crore worth of defence exports by 2047 has been set and exuded confidence that India is well on course to achieve the objective.

Defence Minister Singh reiterated the government’s commitment to ensure the safety of Indians who not only reside within the country, but also in other parts of the world.

In this context, he stressed that the safe return of Indian nationals from Ukraine, amid its ongoing situation with Russia, was testament to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolve of ensuring the safety and security of every Indian.