Efforts underway to fully Indigenise Tejas aircraft soon: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that efforts are on to make Light Combat Aircraft Tejas 100 per cent indigenous and it will be done soon.

While addressing the curtain raiser of 'Aero India' 2023, which will begin from Monday, the Defence Minister said, "We are putting in all efforts to see that Tejas becomes 100 per cent indigenised. That is our ultimate aim."

Singh added that investments in Tejas will increase in the coming years.

"The government has positioned it at the centre of the Aero India show while also planning to promote its exports," he said.

The Minister highlighted that defence exports from India have increased ever since the government adopted the 'Atmanirbhar Scheme', or self-reliance programme, for the defence sector.

"Ever since we have accepted the commitment of self-reliant India since then the export of defence items in India has increased. We want to make India self-reliant, this is our resolution and we want to increase India's defence exports."

Singh said that over 75 friendly countries and more than 700 exhibitors will be part of the biggest-ever Aero-India Show in the country.

The defence minister said that owing to India's resolve to promote self-reliance, the export of defence items has increased.

"Karnataka has got the good fortune of organizing this. Karnataka is the foremost among the states contributing to the economic growth of our country. This state is known for its skilled human resource and robust defence manufacturing ecosystem," he said.

India Pavilion with the theme of 'Wings of the Future' will be the centre of attraction for this event. This pavilion will introduce the potential, opportunities and possibilities of New India to the world.

CEOs Round Table is also an important event of Aero-India. This event will provide us with an opportunity to explore the strength and capabilities of our defence industry in association with the world's top business leaders.

"Through this platform, our youth will be able to showcase their capabilities in Defence Sector in Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, e-Management, Augmented and Virtual Reality, Autonomous Systems and other innovations for future forces, and empower the Defence Sector," the Defence Minister said.

"Promotion of the opportunities available in Karnataka will be beneficial because most of the investments coming from outside will be likely to come to Karnataka. This will create new jobs in the state," he added.

Singh said that it is a matter of pleasure for all of us that in the inauguration ceremony of this event, all of us will get the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself.

"His presence will add more glory to this event," he added.

He also highlighted the benefits of Aero India for the youth of Karnataka, saying that their pavilion will showcase the state's opportunities and possibilities and likely investments will create new jobs. He reiterated that the Government's focus is on the future of the youth.

Singh concluded his address by urging the media to provide extensive visibility to the event and present the rise of a 'New India' to the world.

He stated that media can play the role of a medium in connecting people with the phenomenal progress in the defence sector.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai,MoS defence Ajay Bhatt, Minister of Large and Medium Industries of Karnataka Murugesh Rudrappa Nirani, Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane, Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka Vandita Sharma and other senior officials of the state government and Ministry of Defence were present on the occasion.

The 'India Pavilion', based on the 'Fixed Wing Platform' theme, will showcase India's growth in the area, including the future prospects.

There will be a total of 115 companies, displaying 227 products. It will further showcase the growth of India in developing an ecosystem for the 'Fixed Wing Platform' which includes the demonstration of various structural modules, simulators, systems (LRUs) etc. of LCA-Tejas aircraft being produced by Private Partners.

There will also be a section for Defence space, New Technologies and a UAV section which will give an insight into the growth of India in each sector.

A number of seminars will be held during the five-day event. The themes include 'Harnessing Potential of Ex-servicemen for Indian Defence Industry; India's Defence Space Initiative: Opportunities for shaping Indian private space ecosystem; Indigenous development of futuristic aerospace technologies, including aero engines; Destination Karnataka: US-India defence cooperation innovation and Make in India; Advancement in maritime surveillance equipment and assets; sustenance in MRO and Obsolescence Mitigation and achieving excellence in defence grade drones and Aatmanirbharta in Aero Armament Sustenance.