Govt priority is to modernise armed forces, meet their needs: Rajnath Singh

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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday that the government's priority is to modernise the armed forces and meet all their needs only through indigenisation.

"I would like to reiterate that the modernisation of the armed forces is our priority. We would like to fulfil every requirement of the army through indigenization only," he said.

Singh said that equipment would be imported only if the situation demanded that it was important and was not being manufactured in the country.

Otherwise, the government wanted all weapons to be made in the country, he said.

The defence Minister was speaking at the golden jubilee celebrationsof defence PSU Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).

He also said the defence sector would play a key role in making the country a $5 trillion economy through Foreign Direct Investment and offset investment in manufacturing.

Singh appreciated the role played by BDL in the country's defence production capabilities and assured the PSU full support from the government.