Bengaluru, Feb 18 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday said it was important to modernise India’s defence forces and increase preparedness.
Inaugurating the 10th edition of the Aero India 2015 here, Modi said: “We do need to increase our defence preparedness. We do have to modernise our defence forces.”
“We have to equip ourselves for the needs of the future, where technology will play a major role,” he said.
Describing it as the “largest ever” Aero India, Modi said it reflected a “new level of confidence within our country and global interest in India”.
He added it was a “mega meeting” of one of the largest global supply chains with the most advanced technology and complex equipment.
Modi said the government was focusing on developing India’s defence industry with a sense of “mission”.
“This is why it is at the heart of the Make in India programme,” he said.
“Have introduced significant reforms in our offsets policy. I am acutely aware that it still needs a lot of improvements. Will pursue them,” he added, while also expressing confidence that India would emerge as a “major global centre for defence industry”.
“A strong Indian defence industry will not only make India more secure, it will also make India more prosperous,” he said.
Flying start to India’s air show in Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Feb 18 (IANS) India’s air show got off to a flying start Wednesday in this aerospace hub with a spectacular display of its air prowess and daredevilry aerobatics by its fighters, helicopters and transport aircraft.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the 10th edition of Aero India 2015, a five-day trade expo, at the Yelahanka base of the Indian Air Force (IAF), 20 km from the city, and witnessed the flying display in a clear sky on a sunny day.
Modi and about 1,000 invitees were treated to thrilling aerial feats by different types of aircraft, including the homegrown Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, Sukhoi-30, Mirage-2000, Jaguar and the Advance Jet Trainer (AJT) Hawk.
French aerospace major Dassault Aviation flew its medium multi-role combat aircraft Rafale to demonstrate its awesome strike force, as the IAF has short-listed the MMRCA for induction in its frontline fleet in place of the ageing Russian-made MiG-21.
The IAF pilots also flew the Advance Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv as Sarang aerobatics team, heavy-lift transport plane C-17 Globemaster-III of the Boeing and the Russian-made Ilyushin-76 transport aircraft.
Daredevilry feats by Flying Bulls of Czech Republic, AeroSuper Baltics and Aerowind Services from Britain, Scandinavian air show team Wasp and Open Skydiving of the US Special Forces drew cheers from the spectators.
In all, 72 military aircraft are on flying and static display, including P8-A maritime reconnaissance aircraft and KC-135 tanker of Boeing and EMB-145 Embraer fromABrazil.
In addition, 17 types of civil aircraft, including business jets and helicopters are on display for hardselling in the growing Indian aviation market.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh, Union Civil Aviation Minister Pasupati Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Ananth Kumar, Union Minister for Law and Justice D.V. Sadananda Gowda, Karnataka governor Vajubjhai Vala, state Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Anup Raha were present at the inaugural ceremony.
The state-run defence exhibition organisation has chosen ‘Make in India’ programme of the government as the event theme to pitch for overseas investments in designing, developing and manufacturing aerospace products and platforms for the global military and civil aviation markets, especially in the Indian sub-continent.
Of the 110 countries participating in the event, the US is representing in a big way with a 64-member delegation, followed by France with 58 delegates, Britain 48, Russia 41 and Israel 25.
About 600 multinational and Indian firms, including state-run enterprises are showcasing their technologies and products at the expo in dozen pavilions spread over 2.5-lakh square metres at the sprawling venue.
Dip in defence imports will be economically fruitful: Modi
Bengaluru, Feb 18 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday said reducing imports of defence equipments will reap rich economic benefits.
“A nation with a strong defence industry will not only be more secure. It will also reap rich economic benefits,” said Modi at the 10th edition of the Aero India 2015, a trade fair for defence equipment here.
He said the event can be a platform to launch India’s defence manufacturing sector.
“It can boost investment, expand manufacturing, support enterprise, raise the technology level and increase economic growth in the country,” Modi said.
He said the defence industry in the government sector alone employ nearly 200,000 workers and thousands of engineers and scientists.
Modi said the workforce not only produces an output of nearly $7 billion annually, but also supports a very large pool of small and medium enterprises.
He said the defence industry in the private sector is still small and that it employs thousands of people even though nearly 60 percent of our defence equipment is imported.
Calling for reducing the imports of defence equipment, Modi said we are spending tens of billions of dollars on acquisitions from abroad.
“There are studies that show that even a 20 to 25 percent reduction in imports could directly create an additional 100,000 to 120,000 highly skilled jobs in India.
“If we could raise the percentage of domestic procurement from 40 to 70 percent in the next five years, we would double the output in our defence industry,” Modi said.
“This is why it is at the heart of our Make in India programme,” he added.
The prime minister said: “We have raised the permitted level of Foreign Direct Investment to 49 percent. This can go higher, if the project brings state-of-the art technology. We have permitted investments up to 24 percent by Foreign Institutional Investments. And, there is no longer a need to have a single Indian investor with at least a 51 percent stake.”
Motivate students for career in stem cell research: Modi
Bengaluru, Feb 18 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday called on Indian biologists to motivate schoolchildren for pursuing a career in stem cell research.
Visiting the Institute for Stem Cell Research at the National Centre for Biological Sciences here, Modi urged “the scientists to interact with schoolchildren and motivate them to build careers in this field (stem cell research), an official communique said.
The scientists apprised the prime minister about the research being conducted at the centre and discussed several subjects, including research on traditional Indian medicine and the “Make in India” initiative.
He was also informed about the progress in finding a cure for sickle cell anemia, using gene therapy and wildlife conservation through gene banks.
Also present on this occasion were union ministers D.V. Sadananda Gowda and Ananth Kumar.