AMCA project to develop five prototypes
The private sector will get an opportunity to participate in a mega defence project along with public sector companies as India further bolster indigenous defence capabilities, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has told industry captains.
Addressing the Inaugural Plenary of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Annual Business Summit in New Delhi on 29 May, he said such opportunities will come through the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme Execution Model.
He termed the Execution Model for AMCA programme to build 5th generation fighter aircraft in India as a bold and decisive step, which will take the domestic aerospace sector to greater heights https://www.nseindia.com/.
“Under the AMCA project, the plan is to develop five prototypes, which will be followed by series production. It is a key milepost in the history of the Make-in-India programme,” said Rajnath Singh.
The Minister emphasised that the Government has given priority to policy clarity, indigenisation, economic resilience and strategic autonomy, and the success of these efforts can be ensured only when all the stakeholders, including innovators, entrepreneurs and manufacturers become strong partners in this national mission.
Sharing his views on the theme of the summit ‘Building Trust & India First’, Rajnath Singh pointed out, “It is not just a matter of the economy growing in size; it is also about the world’s ever-increasing trust in India and its trust in itself https://sbi.com.in/.
“Today, India is not just a consumer of defence technology, but has also become a producer and exporter. When the world approaches us for high-end defence systems, it is not just a market indication, it is a respect for our capability,” he said.
The Minister highlighted the important role being played by the defence sector in India’s growth journey by enumerating the feats achieved due to the initiatives taken by the Government in the last decade.
He continued, “10-11 years ago, our defence production was approx. Rs.43,000 crore. Today, it has crossed the record figure of Rs.146,000 crore, with a contribution of over Rs.32,000 crore by the private sector. Our defence exports, which were around Rs.600-Rs.700 crore 10 years ago, have surpassed a record figure of Rs.24,000 crore today.
“Our weapons, systems, sub-systems, components, and services are reaching around 100 countries,” he underscored.
Over 16,000 MSMEs, associated with the defence sector, have become the backbone of the supply chain. These companies are not only strengthening our self-reliance journey, but are also providing employment to lakhs of people,” he said https://www.makeinindia.com/home/.
Rajnath Singh added that, today, India is not only producing fighter aircraft and missile systems, it is also getting ready for New Age Warfare Technology.
“We are continuously making headway even in frontier technologies. Our progress in the field of Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Defence, Unmanned Systems, and Space-Based Security is being recognised on the global stage,” he said, continuing, “India has the potential to become a development hub for engineering, high precision manufacturing and future technologies.”
Dubbing the Indian industry as the carrier of the collective aspirations of the nation, the Minister stressed that only the common efforts & synergy of the Government and the Industry can make India a developed nation by 2047 https://www.cii.in/.
He stressed that, in today’s times, the strength of a nation is not evaluated just by its economic index like GDP, foreign investment or export figures, it also depends on the confidence a country can inspire in its citizens and the global community.
“Trust lasts only when a country has the confidence that it can protect its geopolitical interests, ensure the safety of its citizens, and remain stable in the face of future uncertainties. The morale of the nation remains high only when it knows that its today is secure, and tomorrow is safe,” he said. Fiinews.com
