Now Reading: Modi calls for global defence exports and hypersonic leadership
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Modi calls for global defence exports and hypersonic leadership
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his Independence Day address that India’s defence production has grown nearly fourfold in 12 years and called for the country to become a global military equipment…
The Story in Brief
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his Independence Day address that India’s defence production has grown nearly fourfold in 12 years and called for the country to become a global military equipment supplier. The Times of India reports that the defence budget rose from Rs 2.53 lakh crore in 2013-14 to Rs 7.85 lakh crore in 2026-27, while exports increased from Rs 686 crore to Rs 38,424 crore. Modi urged greater self-reliance, leadership in hypersonic technology, and domestic expertise in drones and counter-drone systems.
The report says about 65% of defence equipment is now produced domestically. Defence research funding has risen to Rs 29,100 crore, with 15 DRDO industry-academia centres working across 82 areas. Modi also said work on the Sudarshan Chakra air defence system was progressing rapidly.
The Indian Opinion
The loudest narrative will cast rising production as proof that India has already become a defence power, while critics may dismiss every gain as accounting or import substitution. Neither claim is sufficient. Production, exports and domestic sourcing matter, but advanced systems must also meet deadlines, quality standards and operational needs. Hypersonic ambitions will be judged by tested, deployable systems, not speeches. The clearest test is whether export growth and the 65% domestic-production figure continue without weakening military readiness.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
