PM launches 7 new defence companies to increase country’s military prowess

Taking his vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat to the next level, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (October 15) launched seven new defence companies with an aim to strengthen the country’s military prowess.

Addressing the launch ceremony that coincided with Vijay Dashmi (Dussehra), the Prime Minister said the decision of creating these companies was stuck for a long time, and expressed the belief these 7 new companies would form a strong base for the military strength of the country in the times to come.

Speaking about the ordnance factories of the country, Modi said that upgradation of these companies was ignored in the post-independence period, leading to the country’s dependence on foreign suppliers for its needs. “India is taking new resolutions to build a new future. The decision to revamp 41 ordnance factories and the launch of these seven companies is a part of this resolution journey. This decision has been pending for the last 15-20 years,” he said.

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Notably, the Ordnance Factory Board has been converted into seven 100% government-owned corporate companies for better defence preparedness.

Modi said these companies would play an important role in import substitution, in line with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat. “An order book of more than Rs 65,000 crore reflect the increasing confidence of the country in these companies,” he said.

The Prime Minister said India’s ordnance factories were once known globally. “During World War, the world saw the strength of India’s ordnance factories. We used to have better resources and world-class skills. Post-Independence, we needed to upgrade these factories, adopt new-age technology. But it didn’t get much attention,” PM Modi said.

Modi also asked start-ups to pay attention to India’s defence sector. “You should think about your research, how your products can benefit from each other’s capabilities in collaboration with these companies,” he said.

The Prime Minister also paid tributes to former President late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and said that Dr Kalam dedicated his life to the cause of a strong nation and said that restructuring of ordnance factories and creation of 7 companies will give strength to his dream of strong India.

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Defence minister Rajnath Singh, who was also present at the launch, said the Union government aims to make India one of the best in the world in the field of defence. “Today seven companies are being dedicated to the nation in the course of the reformative change. There could hardly have been a better opportunity for such reforms to achieve its new objectives,” Singh said.