Moving towards making India self-reliant in Defence: Modi

Lucknow20/6/17;, With India still importing 65 per cent of its military requirements, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday strongly favoured making the country self- reliant in the defence sector.

“We are moving forward with the dream of making India self-dependent in the field of defence and security,” he said at the APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU) here.

“Can we not make India self-reliant in defence sector?” the prime minister asked.

We are marching ahead with this dream and for this we have made policy changes and allowed 100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the defence sector, Modi said.

He lauded the successful launch of 104 satellites by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and said the world took notice when it was done.

We have such potential and have to take it forward, Modi said.

He said that India “reached Mars in a budget less than that of a Bollywood movie due to technological advancement.

Our expense in reaching Mars was Rs 7 per kilometer.”

Lauding scientists, Modi called them “modern rishis”.

“Scientists are facing a challenge to produce cheap but effective drugs for the poor and needy. They are devoted to the objective of ridding the humanity of pain. Science is universal, but technology is local. We have to defeat diseases with science,” he said,.