Govt priority is to modernise armed forces, says Rajnath Singh

Govt priority is to modernize armed forces, says Rajnath Singh Hyderabad, Aug 3 (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday that the government's priority is to modernize the armed forces and meet all their needs only through indigenization. "I would like to reiterate that the modernization of the armed forces is our priority. We would like to fulfill every requirement of the army through indigenization only," he said.

Singh said that equipment would be imported only if the situation demanded that it was important and was not being manufactured in the country. Otherwise, the government wanted all weapons to be made in the country, he said.

The defense minister was speaking at the golden jubilee celebrations defense PSU Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL). He also said the defense sector would play a key role in making the country a $5 trillion economy through Foreign Direct Investment and offset investment in manufacturing.

Singh appreciated the role played by BDL in the country's defense production capabilities and assured the PSU full support from the government.