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Tech integration in Op Sindoor a global case study: FM Nirmala Sitharaman
Speaking to students from colleges and universities, she pointed out that while India earlier relied heavily on foreign defence supplies, the situation has significantly changed.
"Rafale has been imported. S-400 has been imported. Missiles are getting imported, but we also produce our own missiles,' she said. 'We produce our own missiles completely indigenously... some with patents taken from elsewhere. BrahMos is a classic example of what Russia-India cooperation has given us."
Having previously served as defence minister, Sitharaman acknowledged that while some components are still imported, India has made major strides in building systems for high-precision operations.
Quoting a defence expert, she said the United States might now need to reassess its defence production model, especially in view of the India-Pakistan skirmishes.
She added that Operation Sindoor is a key milestone in India's defence history, not just because of what was produced, but how seamlessly those weapons and systems were integrated across the forces. "Our defence forces had no trouble using equipment purchased from, say, Israel," she noted.
According to Sitharaman, the way India's military brought together technology and manpower during the operation is something global experts can study and learn from.
"The scale and extent to which our defence forces have demonstrated prove that in 21st-century warfare, here's a country which has achieved something, which no other country has," she said.
She described Operation Sindoor as a milestone in defence innovation, integration and indigenisation. 'It is not about physically crossing borders, it is about using our technology to strike deep into enemy territories."
The operation was launched after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that left 26 people dead. In response, Indian armed forces struck terror hubs across the border in Pakistan, as well as military targets following an escalation by that country in which they launched attacks against civilian targets in border areas.
During the interaction, Sitharaman also touched on other pressing issues, from the growing reach of India's digital payment systems and AI adoption, to climate change and capital expenditure by states.
On digital payments, she said India has surprised the world with how widely people have embraced them. 'Global currencies, interoperability of systems, and the push into digital payments are all happening at the same time,' she said.
She also noted that cross-border transactions are becoming more efficient with the rollout of Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC).
Speaking on the Centre's special assistance scheme to promote capital spending, she said, 'All states now recognise how important it is to invest in infrastructure, both with their own funds and with help from the Centre.'
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