Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said today that India is building a strong, self-reliant and future-ready defence force by strengthening both conventional defence capabilities and advanced technologies.He said future wars may employ Artificial Intelligence and other emerging technologies, but they will ultimately be won by national resolve, courageous soldiers and capable military power.The Defence Minister said technology and conventional military strength complement each other, and India is committed to excelling in both under the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.Mr Rajnath Singh was addressing the commissioning ceremony of the INS Mahendragiri, the sixth Project 17A indigenous stealth frigate, into the Eastern Fleet at Visakhapatnam today. He said the commissioning marks another milestone in strengthening India’s maritime power and indigenous defence capability.The Defence Minister said the induction of six frontline warships into the Indian Navy within about one and a half years reflects the country’s expanding shipbuilding capability, a rapidly growing defence industrial ecosystem and increasing confidence in indigenous manufacturing.He said India has moved from dependence on defence imports to producing advanced military platforms through the skills and innovation of its own people.Highlighting the success of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, Mr Rajnath Singh said more than 75 per cent of INS Mahendragiri has been built with indigenous content.He described the warship as a highly capable Blue Water platform equipped with BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, advanced multifunction radar, integrated air defence systems, electronic warfare systems and other modern indigenous weapon platforms.He said the warship is capable of tackling threats in the air, on the sea surface and beneath the sea and will significantly strengthen India’s maritime security and operational reach across the Indian Ocean Region.Referring to Operation Sindoor, Mr Rajnath Singh said the Armed Forces have demonstrated India’s ability to combine technological excellence with strong conventional military capability to defend the nation’s sovereignty and respond decisively to any challenge. He said the operation conveyed a clear message that India is fully capable of protecting its national interests.Mr Rajnath Singh said maritime security and economic security are closely linked in today’s world. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of MAHASAGAR(Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions), he said India has emerged as a reliable partner and a Net Security Provider in the Indo-Pacific.He said the Indian Navy has consistently served as the first responder during natural disasters, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, anti-piracy missions and evacuation operations. He also highlighted the Navy’s role in ensuring the safe passage of merchant vessels carrying energy cargo during the recent West Asia conflict.The Defence Minister described Visakhapatnam as one of the strongest pillars of India’s maritime power and said Andhra Pradesh is emerging as a major hub for defence and aerospace manufacturing.He referred to the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft Core Integration and Flight Testing Centre, the Bharat Dynamics Limited Dynamic Systems Manufacturing Facility in Anakapalli district and the proposed Drone City in Kurnool as major initiatives strengthening India’s defence capabilities across the air, sea and unmanned domains.Expressing confidence in India’s maritime future, Mr Rajnath Singh said the Government is expanding shipbuilding capacity and modernising the maritime sector under the Maritime India 2030 vision.He said every indigenous warship strengthens the country’s technological capability, industrial ecosystem and economic growth while creating employment opportunities, promoting technological innovation and advancing the goal of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.He expressed confidence that India will emerge as a global hub for shipbuilding and maritime defence manufacturing and urged the country’s youth, startups, innovators, researchers and industry to contribute to developing next-generation defence technologies and building a strong, self-reliant and globally competitive India.
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