‘How long to depend on others’: On Independence Day, PM’s ‘aatmanirbhar’ call

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday called for furthering self-reliance in different sectors while charting out the road map for India’s growth and development in the next 25 years when the country will mark its Independence centenary even as he lauded the Armed Forces for supporting the vision of Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance).

“For how long can we be dependent on others,” the PM said addressing the country on the 76th Independence Day.

In his 80-minute address, Modi said self-reliant India was not a government programme, but a mass movement for the society to take forward.

“It is the responsibility of the government, of every citizen, and of every unit of society.” The PM also invoked Indian nationalist and philosopher Aurobindo, who was born on August 15, to drive home the message of self-reliance. “As we celebrate Aurobindoji’s birthday, let us ensure we follow his mantra ‘Swadeshi se Swaraj, Swaraj se Suraaj’,” Modi said.

He made a special mention of an indigenous artillery gun being deployed at the Independence Day function.

For the first time, a prototype of the advanced towed artillery gun system (ATAGS) was used for the ceremonial 21-gun salute along with British guns that have been traditionally used for the event. The howitzer has been designed and developed under the government’s Make in India initiative to strengthen the defence manufacturing sector in the country.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) began the ATAGS project in 2013 to replace older guns with a modern 155mm artillery gun. It partnered with two private firms, Bharat Forge Limited and Tata Advanced Systems Limited, for manufacturing the gun, which has a firing range of 48km.

The PM saluted the armed forces personnel for furthering the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat while making a mention of the phased ban imposed by the government on the import of 310 different weapons and systems during the last two years. These weapons and platforms will be indigenised in phases over the next five to six years.

The armed forces personnel have shouldered the responsibility of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and “unhein jitna salute karoon, utna kamm hai,” the PM said.

Aatmanirbharta in the starting point for India to become a regional or global power, said Air Marshal Anil Chopra (retd), director general, Centre for Air Power Studies. “The defence production ecosystem is finally taking off, with aircraft, ships, tanks and guns being manufactured in the country,” Chopra added.

The military hardware sought to be indigenised covers light weight tanks, naval utility helicopters, artillery guns, missiles, loitering munitions, missile destroyers, ship-borne cruise missiles, light combat aircraft, light transport aircraft, long-range land-attack cruise missiles, basic trainer aircraft, multi-barrel rocket launchers, assault rifles, sniper rifles, specified types of helicopters, and airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) systems.

In July, Modi said the goal of attaining self-reliance in defence was critical for the country in the 21st century, and innovative indigenous solutions were important for future challenges.

India’s military imports dropped 21% between 2012-16 and 2017-21, according to report published by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) in March. Also, defence exports touched the Rs13,000-crore mark in 2021-22, with the private sector’s share pegged at 70%, according to defence ministry data.

The government has earmarked Rs84,598 crore – 68 % of the military’s capital acquisition budget – for purchasing locally produced weapons and systems in 2022-23. Import substitution of ammunition, which is a recurring requirement, is a top priority for the government.