New Delhi: Amid the rising challenges and disputes with China and Pakistan – India’s defense minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday gave a statement in which he said that “India will be building ships “not only for our own needs but also the needs of all over the world,”
The system features of INS Visakhapatnam are not only going to meet the needs of today but also that of the future.
During his address to the gathering after the commissioning at the naval dockyard in Mumbai, Singh said that India envisions an Indo-Pacific region that is based on rules, has freedom of navigation, and universal rules, “in which the interest of all the participating countries are protected.”
Singh noted that India being an important nation in the “security” of the Indo-Pacific region, the role of the Indian Navy “becomes more important.”
With the help of Make in India initiatives, he pointed out, the Indian Navy has provided 76 percent Air Operations Net (AON), and 66 percent cost-basis contracts to the country’s vendors in 2014. Indigenization of about 90 percent of Naval Ammunition has also happened.
Singh hailed the Indian Navy’s “consistent efforts” to take part in several outreach programs of industries and increase indigenized items under ‘float’, ‘move’ and ‘fight’ categories.
(_Vinayak)
