Tejas deal inked, Rajnath talks of India’s talents, position at air present in Bengaluru

SPEAKING on the inauguration of Aero India 2020, after formally sealing a Rs 48,000 crore deal to acquire 83 Tejas mild fight plane, in what the federal government has described because the ‘biggest’ Make in India defence contract, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Wednesday asserted that India was vigilant and able to dealing with any problem.
“India faces threats and challenges emanating from multiple fronts”, Singh stated, mentioning “State-sponsored and State-inflicted terrorism”. “We have long witnessed unfortunate attempts to employ force to change status quo along our unresolved borders. India is vigilant and prepared to counter and defeat any misadventure to defend our people and territorial integrity at all costs,” he stated, including Aero India will showcase the nation’s “commitment” to rising defence capabilities.
The Defence Minister started his speech with a point out of the Tejas take care of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, saying “India’s growing strength and capabilities in aerospace and defence sector are now being realised by everyone.”

Inaugurated the HAL’s new LCA-Tejas Production Line in Bengaluru right now. Under the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ India is trying ahead to extend its defence manufacturing capabilities. India can not stay depending on different international locations for its defence. @HALHQBLR pic.twitter.com/7HCmYnjp1P
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) February 2, 2021
Singh additionally talked about the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) Defence Minister’s Conclave, “themed on enhanced peace, security and cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region”, and stated that Aero India “provides an opportunity to discuss our security environment”.
He stated, “India has a vast coastline, but our interests also lie beyond our shores… It includes our people who reside and work across continents, especially in the IOR. It is our bounden duty to remain capable to assist them in times of natural calamities and security challenges. We also feel responsible to offer assistance to all countries in the region… be it piracy, challenges to security, humanitarian assistance or emergency situations.”
Singh stated the federal government wished to make India “one of the biggest countries of the world in the defence sector, from design to production, with active participation of the public and private sector”, and that its objectives have been each self-reliance and exports. “We have set a target to achieve a turnover of Rs 1,75,000 crore, including exports of Rs 35,000 crore, in aerospace and defence goods and services by 2024.”
Noting that Aero India was being held within the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic, Singh stated, “I am pleased to see such a large number of participants… (from) the world’s leading nations in the fields of military and aviation.” He talked about India’s supply of Covid vaccines to different international locations as nicely.
Singh additionally raised India’s position within the IOR on the Chiefs of Air Staff conclave later, saying, “Geopolitically, India is a reliable partner… and can take on the role of being the net security provider in the region.” Emphasising the significance of air energy on this, he stated it allowed “freedom to manoeuvre” and to “exert influence in a sustainable and an easily escalable manner”.
Speaking on the conclave, IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal R Ok S Bhadauria praised the Tejas. “LCA is the best in its class of light-weight fighters and would become an important part of the IAF’s future combat capability,” he stated.

Also speaking of India being “central to peace, stability and security in the region”, he stated, “We have witnessed a paradigm change in the geopolitical landscape in recent years, and globally, we are facing unprecedented levels of uncertainty, volatility and interconnected threats. While the world was grappling with the pandemic, the worsening inter-State relations, rising mistrust and geopolitical tensions have only reinforced the importance of mature and balanced cooperation at the international level.”
Bhadauria added, “Multi-domain awareness through ground, sea, air or space-based platforms is a critical prerequisite to meet the growing security challenges. International cooperation can be created by enthusiastic forward-thinking planners, but they need to be backed by credible and appropriate military power.”