India will be a developed nation by 2047: Rajnath Singh

India will be a developed nation by 2047, defence minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday (May 15), as the country is becoming self-reliant.

Moreover, according to economic experts, India will be placed third in the world economy by 2027, he added.

Speaking at the convocation ceremony of the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT) in Maharashtra’s Pune district, he also emphasised on the advancement of technology amid the steady rise in cyberspace threats in the defence sector.

The minister said that the world is changing at a rapid speed.

“The defence sector is also witnessing a change as we can see multiple technical changes in this sector. Many problems have arisen in the defence sector, especially the threats in cyberspace have increased,” he said, adding that however, with the changing situation we (India) have to move towards advancement in technology.

“If there is a challenge, there is a solution. Now, efforts should be put forward to advance the technology,” the minister said.

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Stressing on self-reliance, Singh said it does not mean we should be different from other countries, “but the objective is that the basic requirements should be manufactured by us and we should be able to export them”.

Manufacturing products in the country will also help to create employment. “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we have seen a dream that India will become a developed nation in the world by 2047,” he said.

Singh said, “We are witnessing a rise in the export of defence equipment. Back in 2014, the export in this sector was ₹900 crore, but now it has gone up to ₹16,000 crore. The import has reduced as India is now the biggest hub of start-ups and we are bringing innovative ideas.”

Rifles, missiles and aircraft are being made in India, he pointed out. “India is now becoming a self-reliant country. The possibility of India becoming the top economy in the world also cannot be ruled out,” the minister said.

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“Economic experts assert that by 2027, India will achieve the third rank in the world economy. To make our dream come true, we should work towards it,” he said.

Addressing the gathering, Singh said he was proud to be at the 12th convocation of DIAT. “Right from its establishment, the institute has done a remarkable work and today, I can see the future of our country,” he added.

(With agency inputs)