Attempts of forces to harm India's interests must be thwarted: PM Modi

Attempts of forces, be it from within India or abroad, to harm the country’s interests must be thwarted effectively, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday while highlighting the need for a ‘whole-of-government approach” to combat myriad national security challenges.

In an address at a naval seminar, Modi said national defence is no longer limited to borders but has a much broader ambit and the armed forces and other stakeholders must work together to bolster the country’s military capabilities.

He said as India establishes itself on the global stage, there have been constant attacks on it through misinformation and disinformation campaigns.

The prime minister said his government has developed a new defence ecosystem in the country to boost domestic defence manufacturing.

”In the last eight years, we have not only increased the defence budget, but we have also ensured that it is useful in the development of defence manufacturing ecosystem in India itself,” he said.

”Today, a large part of the budget earmarked for the purchase of defence equipment is being spent on procurement from Indian companies,” he said.

The prime minister said India’s defence imports have come down by about 21 per cent in the last four-five years and the country is now moving fast from being a major defence importer to becoming a significant exporter.