Gujarat can anchor a drive for confidence in defence, says Rajnath Singh

Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh addresses a gathering during the fourth edition of Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference at GSFC University in Vadodara on Tuesday (June 30, 2026). | Photo credit: ANI

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh identified Gujarat as a key driver of India’s drive to achieve defense self-sufficiency. He said on Tuesday (June 30, 2026) that the state has the industrial capacity, skilled workforce and innovation ecosystem to become a major defense manufacturing and technology hub.

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Addressing the general assembly of the fourth Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference (VGRC) for the Central Gujarat region in Vadodara, Mr. Singh said that India had made remarkable progress in defense manufacturing and exports over the past decade, but stressed that the country still had a “long way to go” to achieve complete self-sufficiency.

He said domestic defense production has grown from around ₹46,000 crore in 2014 to nearly ₹1.78 lakh crore, while defense industry exports have increased from around ₹1,000 crore to ₹39,000 crore in the same period.

“However, I see this as just the beginning. We still have a long way to go and I believe Gujarat can play a very significant role in the goal of self-sufficiency in defense manufacturing,” he said.

Native Defense Ecosystem

The minister said that India has shifted from heavy dependence on defense imports to a domestic defense ecosystem supported by private industry, startups and innovation. He attributed the shift to initiatives like Make in India, Defense Acquisition Procedure, Technology Development Fund, Srijan portal, Innovations for Defense Excellence (iDEX), Defense Test Infrastructure, Green Channel Certification and self-certification, which encouraged MSMEs and startups to enter the sector.

He added that the government has also relaxed norms for industrial licenses and liberalized foreign direct investment policy to attract more investment in defense manufacturing.

Highlighting Gujarat’s role in the sector, Mr Singh said Vadodara is home to the country’s first private military aircraft manufacturing facility — the Tata-Airbus C-295 transport aircraft programme. The state also produces the K9 Vajra self-propelled artillery system.

He said future warfare and economic growth will increasingly depend on advanced technologies such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, cyber security and space technology. The semiconductor ecosystems being developed at Sanand and Dholera will strengthen India’s technological sovereignty, while Gujarat’s strengths in engineering, chemicals, ports, shipbuilding, renewable energy and green hydrogen could support the next generation of defense technologies.

Describing Gujarat as the “growth engine” of the Indian economy, Mr Singh said the Vibrant Gujarat initiative launched in 2003 by then Chief Minister Narendra Modi has evolved into a globally recognized platform for investment and partnership in line with the vision of a developed India by 2047.

Published – 30 Jun 2026 22:18 IST