By A Correspondent

Pune (Maharashtra): India’s defence minister Rajnath Singh, on Oct. 16, 2025, underscored India’s growing defence manufacturing capabilities, setting ambitious targets of achieving INR 3 lakh crore in annual defence production and INR 50,000 crore in exports by 2029.

Speaking at the convocation ceremony of Symbiosis Skills and Professional University in Pune, Singh highlighted that the surge in indigenous defence output reflects the government’s consistent push toward self-reliance under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.

Citing the success of ‘Operation Sindoor’ as a milestone, Singh said the mission demonstrated the effectiveness of India’s homegrown defence systems. “Our soldiers achieved their objectives using a large amount of Made-in-India equipment,” he said, calling it a testament to the nation’s indigenous technological progress in the defence sector.

The Defence Minister noted that India’s annual defence production has risen from INR 46,000 crore a decade ago to INR 1.5 lakh crore in 2025, with nearly INR 33,000 crore contributed by the private sector.

He expressed confidence that the growth momentum, supported by policy reforms and industry participation, would help meet the government’s 2029 production and export targets.

Emphasising the role of youth and innovation in sustaining this growth, Singh urged students to go beyond academic achievements and become active participants in nation-building. “True success lies not merely in acquiring degrees but in applying knowledge meaningfully for society’s benefit,” he said.

Highlighting the evolving skill demands of the modern economy, he added, “We are no longer in the era of ‘What do you know?’ The world now asks, ‘What can you do?’ Skill is the bridge between learning and doing.”

Singh also addressed the role of technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI), assuring students that AI would enhance, not replace, human capabilities. “Those who use AI will replace those who don’t,” he remarked, stressing that technology must remain a tool guided by human ethics and sensitivity.

During the event, Rajnath Singh and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis jointly inaugurated the School of Defence and Aerospace Technology, aimed at promoting advanced skill development and research in India’s defence sector.

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