India's Leap Towards Defence Self-Reliance

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh highlighted India's progress in achieving self-reliance in the defence sector during the 277th Annual Day celebrations of the Defence Accounts Department. Singh commended the adoption of technology like the SPARSH portal for pensioners and urged the department to innovate and develop a data management system for impactful defence expenditure analytics.

India is now recognized as a defence exporter, thanks to the government's push for self-reliance, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated on Tuesday. Speaking at the 277th Annual Day celebrations of the Defence Accounts Department (DAD) at Bharat Mandapam, Singh noted that 30 lakh of the 32 lakh defence pensioners are now linked to the SPARSH (System for Pension Administration, Raksha) portal.

SPARSH is a web-based platform for processing pension claims and depositing the pension directly into bank accounts, eliminating intermediaries. Singh praised the Department's focus on technological adoption, despite numerous challenges, in successfully implementing this system.

To mark the occasion, Singh launched various publications, including the SPARSH Audit Manual and the Comprehensive Statistical Handbook on Defence Expenditure (COSHE) 2024. Reflecting on India's growing self-reliance, Singh called for the creation of a 'Centre of Excellence' in defence finance and a data management system to analyze defence expenditure's impact on the economy. The 277-year-old department has constantly evolved to provide essential services in audit, accounting, financial advice, and pensions management.