BANGALORE: Union Minister of State for Defence, Sanjay Seth, emphasized Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's pivotal role in realizing India's 'Make in India' ambitions in the defence sector during his visit to Bangalore. 

Addressing HAL's leadership, Seth urged the company to contribute significantly towards achieving 'Viksit Bharat' by overcoming challenges in design, development, production, and delivery.

During his visit, Seth received a comprehensive presentation from HAL, covering its product portfolio, ongoing repair and overhaul activities, aircraft upgrades, avionics developments, export initiatives, engine production, and efforts in indigenization and civil MRO operations. He later toured HAL's LCA Tejas and Helicopter divisions, where HAL's CMD (Additional Charge), C B Ananthakrishnan, expressed gratitude for government support and highlighted HAL's proactive measures to address operational challenges.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recently announced that India achieved its highest-ever growth in defence production value of approximately Rs 1.27 lakh crore in 2023-24. He highlighted the significant progress of the Make in India initiative, noting new milestones being surpassed. Singh reaffirmed the government's commitment to fostering a more conducive environment to position India as a prominent global hub for defence manufacturing. 

India's defence production landscape in 2023-24 shows significant contributions from both Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) and other Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), which together accounted for 79.2% of the total value of production (VoP). The remaining 20.8% was contributed by the private sector, marking a balanced growth trajectory across the industry.

Data released by the Ministry of Defence underscores consistent growth in defence production by both DPSUs/PSUs and the private sector. This indicates a positive trend in enhancing indigenous manufacturing capabilities, crucial for bolstering India's defence preparedness and supporting the 'Make in India' initiative.

Rajnath Singh also noted that the value of defence production in FY 2022-23 stood at Rs 1,08,684 crore, reflecting a substantial increase year-on-year. The growth trajectory has been consistent over the past five years, witnessing an increase of more than 60 per cent since 2019-20. This surge underscores India's expanding capabilities in defence manufacturing and underscores the country's commitment to self-reliance in defence production.

Recent updates:

Biden Launches 'Ukraine Compact' to Boost Kyiv's Defense and Security

Taiwan on High Alert Due to China's Missile Tests in Inner Mongolia

NASA Enhances Planetary Defense with Detailed Asteroid Images