"I Was Minister In Vajpayee Era...": Rajnath Singh On What's Different Now

India's stature in international forums has grown under the Narendra Modi government, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said today while comparing his experiences as a minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government and the current dispensation.

Rajnath Singh, NDTV Defence Summit, NDTV Defence Summit 2024
Rajnath on Vajpayee-Era Contrasts

In his remarks at NDTV's maiden defence summit, Mr Singh said India's defence sector has become strong because the government has tried to focus on "Indianness" too. "We have strengthened the defence sector from an India perspective. The result is India's rise on the international stage. The day is not far off when India will not only become a developed nation, but our military strength will be the greatest in the world," he said.

Recounting his experience as a minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, the Defence Minister said, "I was a minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government too. When I travelled to other countries and spoke on international forums, I felt our words were not taken very seriously. But when we speak on international forums now, the world takes note. This is how our stature has grown," he said.

The Defence Minister said the Narendra Modi government has prioritised the defence sector and encouraged self-reliance.

"In 2014, when Prime Minister Modi's government came to power, we put defence sector as our main priority. Atmanirbharta (self-reliance) was encouraged and we introduced many Make-in-India initiatives. Our focus was on military modernisation," he said.

"I am not saying that previous governments did not put emphasis on defence sector. But we brought atmanirbharta in the defence sector," Mr Singh added.

The Defence Minister said India now imports technology "only when our own innovation falls short".

Underlining the government's vision to reduce dependence on other countries, he said, "As a nation, adopting a mindset of technological dependence on other countries can be detrimental to our overall well-being, impacting various facets such as literature, daily life and every aspect of our existence. Prime Minister Modi is striving to break free from this mentality." 

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