Nashik, October 17
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurated the third Production Line of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A and the second Production Line of Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 (HTT-40) at the Nashik facility of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on October 17, 2025. He also flagged-off the first LCA Mk1A produced at the facility.
In his address, Raksha Mantri described the flight of the state-of-the-art aircraft as a shining symbol of India’s growing Aatmanirbharta in defence. Highlighting the transformation of the defence sector in the last decade under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, he asserted that the country, which once imported 65-70% of critical military hardware, is now manufacturing 65% of the equipment on its own soil. He voiced the Government’s resolve of increasing domestic manufacturing to 100% in the times to come.
“When we came to power in 2014, we realised that without self-reliance, we can never be truly secure. In the beginning, we faced numerous challenges, the biggest being ‘limited defence preparedness’ and ‘import dependency’. Everything was limited to Government enterprises, and the private sector had no significant participation in the production ecosystem. In addition, there was not enough focus on defence planning, advanced technology, and innovation. This forced us to depend on other countries for critical equipment and cutting-edge systems, which increased costs & created strategic vulnerabilities. This challenge encouraged us to move forward in the direction of new thinking and reforms. The results are visible today. We not only reduced import dependency, but also strengthened our commitment to indigenisation. Whatever we used to buy from abroad, we are now manufacturing it domestically, be it fighter aircraft, missiles, engines and electronic warfare systems,” said Rajnath Singh.
Listing out other feats achieved due to the Government’s consistent efforts, Raksha Mantri stated that annual defence production, which was worth Rs 46,429 crore in 2014-15, has surged to a record figure of over Rs 1.50 lakh crore in 2024-25, with exports touching an all-time high of Rs 25,000 crore from less than Rs 1,000 crore a decade ago. “We have now set a target of increasing defence manufacturing to Rs 3 lakh crore and exports to Rs 50,000 crore by 2029,” he added.
On the constantly-evolving nature of modern-day warfare, Rajnath Singh underscored the importance of staying ahead of the curve as Artificial Intelligence, cyber warfare, drone systems & next-generation aircraft are shaping the future, and wars are being fought across multiple frontiers. “India must always stay ahead in this new race, and not lag behind,” he said, exhorting HAL to make its mark in the fields of next-generation aircraft, unmanned systems & civil aviation, and not limit itself to LCA Tejas or HTT-40.
As Raksha Mantri voiced the Government’s commitment towards inducting state-of-the-art, indigenous technologies, he appreciated the role of HAL in carrying forward the vision, terming the Defence Public Sector Undertaking as the backbone of India’s defence sector. While he praised HAL for providing operational support to the recently-decommissioned MiG-21, he also shed light on its valuable contribution during Operation Sindoor.
“In our security history, there have been only a few instances when the entire system has truly been tested simultaneously. Operation Sindoor was one such mission. Our forces not only demonstrated valor and commitment, but also displayed their confidence in indigenous platforms. HAL provided support at various operational sites 24 hours a day during the operation. It ensured the Indian Air Force’s operational readiness by carrying out prompt maintenance on fighter jets and helicopters. The Nashik team performed the crucial task of installing the BrahMos missile on the Su-30, which destroyed terrorist hideouts during the operation. This proved that when it comes to national security, we can make our own equipment and protect ourselves with it,” said Rajnath Singh.
