Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday, the country which can fulfill its own needs, moves forward with the most confidence to protect its interests. He said this while performing the bhoomi pujan for a state-of-the-art 10,000-tonne aluminum extrusion press at Ordnance Factory Ambazari, Nagpur along with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
This is a unit of Ordnance Factory Yantra India Limited (YIL). Emphasizing this, he said that to be prepared for the future, it is necessary to control the security related needs in the current geopolitical situation.
Rajnath Singh Said that the new facility will help in manufacturing large and complex aluminum alloy profiles required for defense systems and platforms, aerospace and aviation structures, missile programs, railway and transportation sectors and other strategic industrial uses.
He said that this project will help in reducing import dependence of essential aluminum extrusions and strengthen the domestic supply chain.
He stressed that the extrusion press reflects the country's shift from import dependence to manufacturing essential goods domestically and said the press will be one of the most advanced facilities of its kind in the country. It will help in manufacturing large and complex aluminum alloy profiles required for defense systems and platforms, aerospace and aviation structures, missile programs, railways and transportation sectors and other strategic industrial applications.
Rajnath said, this extrusion press fulfills a very important need. Modern fighter jets, missiles and advanced space programs require metals that are light and strong, and can withstand even the harshest conditions. Such metals are made through a special process. If the quality of metal is good, it will work well in every situation.
Emphasizing the vital role of Made-in-India equipment in the success of Operation Sindoor, Rajnath Singh stressed the need to increase indigenous manufacturing of rugged hardware to complement the bravery of the Defense Force personnel.
He emphasized that thousands of critical components are the real strength of big machines, and the extrusion press will go a long way in making the country self-reliant in this vital field. He said, today, when the nature of war is changing and enemies are becoming difficult to detect, conventional warfare and its associated methods are as important as they were in 1947, and will remain so in 2047.
He said that the importance of a strong military-industrial base will remain for a long time, and the extrusion press is a step towards meeting a larger national need keeping in mind the future requirements.
Rajnath Singh emphasized that the government is moving forward by working together on four main things – technology, workforce, knowledge and confidence in the country – to fulfill PM Modi's vision of a self-reliant India.
He said that the government's continuous efforts are yielding good results as domestic defense production, which was Rs 46,000 crore in 2014, has increased to a record Rs 1.78 lakh crore in the financial year (FY) 2025-26. He said that the country was exporting arms and equipment worth less than Rs 1,000 crore in 2014, which has now increased to an all-time high of Rs 38,424 crore.
He said, this is not just an increase in numbers, but also an increase in India's capabilities. This shows increase in the confidence of the country. We are ready to achieve the targets set for the next 2-3 years – defense production of Rs 3 lakh crore and defense export of Rs 50,000 crore – ahead of schedule.
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