Vemagal (Karnataka) [India], February 17 : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said India's defence exports have "increased manifold" in recent years, placing the country among the "top defence exporters globally."
The H-125 Light Utility Helicopter Final Assembly Line, a joint initiative of Tata and Airbus was virtually inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron. The French President arrived in Mumbai in the early hours today.
Meanwhile, at the inaugural ceremony for the final assembly line of H-125 helicopters at Vemagal in Karnataka in the presence of French Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin and Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, Rajnath Singh highlighted the transformation of India's defence manufacturing ecosystem, noting that the sector had historically been dominated by the public sector.
Addressing the event, the Defence Minister said, "Historically, Indian defence production was largely public sector oriented due to various reasons. As a result, the private sector's contribution to total defence production and exports was less than desirable. Our defence exports have increased manifold, putting India among the top defence exporters in the world. This growth trajectory has also given a massive boost to MSMEs and the ancillary sector."
He added that many foreign companies are currently sourcing components from Indian MSMEs. "We invite companies to deepen this partnership through meaningful technology transfer and offer advanced solutions to meet the security needs of other countries as well," the Defence Minister said.
Congratulating the teams of Tata Advanced Systems and Airbus Helicopters for the initiative, Singh described the project as a step towards expanding mutually beneficial partnerships with friendly nations in high-end manufacturing.
Referring to flagship initiatives, Singh said, "Make in India and Atmanirbharta have been the cornerstones of India's economic policy since 2014. This was one of the first initiatives, launched by our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, under which India is committed to achieve self-reliance in critical technologies and manufacturing of high-end products and equipment through mutually beneficial partnerships."
He highlighted that over the past decade, India has focused on rapid industrial development through large-scale infrastructure building, capital infusion through schemes like Production Linked Incentive (PLI), liberalised investment regimes, corporatisation of Ordnance Factories, and the establishment of defence industrial corridors.
"Today, the share of private sector in total defence production stands at almost a quarter of all defence production in the country," he said.
On the H-125 programme, Singh said the investment is anticipated to exceed Rs 1,000 crore and is expected to generate direct and indirect employment opportunities for the country's skilled youth.