India’s arms imports reduced significantly in last 4-5 years: Lt Governor

Jammu, Sep 11: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha attended the North-Tech Symposium-2023 at Jagti Campus of IIT Jammu, Monday.
The Lt Governor congratulated the Northern Command, Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) and IIT Jammu for jointly hosting hundreds of Industries and defence tech startups and making this year’s North-Tech Symposium a unique experience with their collaboration.
It is a proud moment for Academia as for the first time since its inception North-Tech Symposium, defence expo is being held in IIT Jammu, the Lt Governor said.
He observed that the three-day mega event will showcase cutting-edge technological advancements of Indian Army and forge a synergy between Army, Industry and Academia in research, development and innovation in Defence technologies.
At the expo, the Lt Governor also talked about India’s emergence as defence exporter and self-reliance in Defence Production.
“Under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji, the country has witnessed major push for Aatmanirbharta in Defence. We are a responsible space power and have shown our strategic strength,” the Lt Governor said.
He said the launch of INS Vikrant last year vindicated our resolve to develop indigenous capabilities.
Our arms imports have reduced significantly in the last 4-5 years and defence export reached an all-time high in the last financial year. It shows our commitment to innovation and Indigenous technology development, he said.
“The Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Hon’ble Defence Minister Rajnath Singh have set the target of achieving 70 percent Aatmanirbharta in weaponry by 2027, which is providing unlimited opportunities to private industries, MSMEs and tech startups. It signals our steadfast commitment to self-reliance,” the Lt Governor said.
On the occasion, the Lt Governor congratulated and expressed his gratitude to the Armed Forces for complete devotion to the motherland and determination to strengthen the national security.
He said the rapid advancements in technology also called for new innovations in defence sector. Our greater thrust on Research & Development, innovation for defence excellence will ensure India is fully prepared for Future Warfare, he added.
The North-Tech Symposium provides a platform to the Army, academia, manufacturers, entrepreneurs, experts and key stakeholders to identify unique solutions to meet the Army’s operational requirements, while promoting self-reliance in defence production and technology proliferation.
The symposium will feature exhibitions, product launches, structured interactions and technical seminars.
Lieutenant General M. V. Suchindra Kumar, Vice Chief of Army Staff; Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi, GOC-in-C Northern Command; Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, GOC 15 Corps; Prof Manoj S Gaur, Director, IIT Jammu; Dr Sunil Misra, Director General, Society for Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM); senior officers of Army, Police, Civil Administration, members of SIDM, industry leaders, students and young entrepreneurs were present.