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Hans India
7 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
Bold defence reforms and strategic self-reliance mark PM Modi's 11 year-milestone
New Delhi: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi surpasses Indira Gandhi, becoming India's second-longest-serving Prime Minister after Jawaharlal Nehru, his 11-year tenure stands marked by a transformative overhaul of India's defence sector, with a sharp focus on indigenous capabilities, swift military responses, and modernisation. Since taking office in 2014, PM Modi has prioritised 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India)' in defence manufacturing, reversing decades of import-dependency. Under his leadership, India has emerged as one of the world's top 25 arms exporters, with over Rs one lakh crore in defence exports reported in the last few years. According to the Ministry of Defence, 'Defence exports have grown 21 times, from Rs 4,312 crore in the 2004-14 decade to Rs 88,319 crore in the 2014-24 decade, highlighting India's expanding role in the global defence sector.' Key milestones include the successful production of LCA Tejas fighter jets, the development of the Prachand Light Combat Helicopter, and indigenous artillery systems like Dhanush and ATAGS, along with others. 'Strategic reforms, private sector involvement, and robust R&D have led to the development of advanced military platforms like the Dhanush Artillery Gun System, Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), Main Battle Tank (MBT) Arjun, Light Specialist Vehicles, High Mobility Vehicles, Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), Light Utility Helicopter (LUH), Akash Missile System, Weapon Locating Radar, 3D Tactical Control Radar, and Software Defined Radio (SDR), as well as naval assets like destroyers, indigenous aircraft carriers, submarines, frigates, corvettes, fast patrol vessels, fast attack craft, and offshore patrol vessels,' the MoD said. The Modi government also greenlit the creation of two defence corridors -- in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu -- to attract private investment and promote local manufacturing. Over 70 per cent of India's defence procurement budget in 2024-25 was earmarked for indigenous sources. Strategically, PM Modi's era has been defined by a decisive shift in India's military posture. After the deadly terrorist attack at the Pathankot airbase in 2016 and the Uri Army camp attack later that year, India conducted its first cross-border surgical strikes, sending a clear message of zero tolerance toward terrorism. This assertiveness was further amplified in 2019 with the Balakot airstrikes following the Pulwama attack, marking the first Indian air raid on Pakistani territory since 1971. In May 2025, the Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor, a massive retaliatory mission targeting terror launchpads across the LoC and PoK in retaliation for a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, in which 26 innocents were gunned down by Pakistani-based terrorists. The operation highlighted the Indian Army's enhanced surveillance, strike precision, and integrated warfare capabilities. Modernisation has accelerated through key acquisitions like the Rafale fighter jets, Apache and Chinook helicopters, and S-400 missile systems. The ageing MiG-29 fleet is being gradually phased out to make way for new-generation platforms like the AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft), which is under development by HAL and DRDO. As PM Modi crosses a historic milestone, India's defence ecosystem stands significantly stronger -- not just in hardware, but in strategic clarity, indigenous innovation, and global stature.
India Today
26-04-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Ground report: Fear grips India-Pak border as post-Pahalgam escalation threatens fragile peace
Fear has resurfaced in border villages along the Line of Control (LoC) following two consecutive nights of unprovoked small arms firing by Pakistan. Multiple Indian Army posts across the Kashmir sector were targeted and Indian troops responded firmly, as tensions escalated between the neighbours following the Pahalgam terror Today teams travelled to Balkot village and Uri town, areas scarred by intense shelling in the 1990s and early 2000s, and which experienced renewed violence in 2016 after the deadly attack on the Uri Army base that claimed the lives of 19 Indian soldiers. For the local population, these recent incidents are a stark and unwelcome reminder of a painful past they had hoped was behind them, though no casualties have been reported so fragile peace that had settled over the LoC following the 2003 ceasefire agreement and reaffirmed in 2021 now faces a significant threat. The recent terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which killed 26 tourists, has amplified the pervasive sense of unease in the region. Balkot, a quiet village in the Uri sector, approximately 100 km from Srinagar, is once again on edge. Here, our team met Mohammed Rafiq, a retired Naik from the Indian Army who now runs a general store. From his residence, Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) is visible to the naked expressed how the peace of mind in the region has been shattered, first by the Pahalgam attack and now by the escalating border tensions."It is peaceful now, but we hear the buzz that the situation may escalate at the borders," he told India Today. "We are a bit worried since we don't have bunkers. Even if a small firearm is shot, we can hear it, and it can reach us. Our houses are within firing range".advertisementWasim Ahmed, a local young man, voiced his anxieties, saying 'We have nowhere to hide'."We hope things don't escalate because we have seen Pakistan targeting civilians. Any tension between India and Pakistan is a reason for tension for us also,' he in the village is praying for the situation to settle without further escalation. An elderly woman holding her grandchild shared her worry. "We keep looking at the borders day and night with tension. We have small grandchildren. We only hope things don't escalate."In Uri town, adjacent to the Uri Cantonment, residents conveyed a sense of Murtaza Naqvi, from Kamalkote near the LoC, said, "Any cross-border tension is faced by people living on the Line of Control, who directly face Pakistan. If it increases to shelling, we will have to suffer'.'Before 2005, we had civilian bunkers, which mostly don't exist now. It means we will have to suffer,' he resident echoed this concern, saying, "We are residents of border areas, and bunkers are few. There are 30,000-40,000 people and merely 2-3 civil bunkers. But we are hopeful that the Indian government will control any ceasefire violations. Residents of these hills are with the Indian Army. Those in Jammu or Srinagar do not face the consequences, but those living on the borders face problems."advertisementSome residents, however, appeared less overtly worried, with one simply shrugging and saying, "Allah janne" (God knows).Security forces are actively patrolling the mountainous terrain on both sides of the Pir Panjal range. Despite being 200 km away, the terror attack in Pahalgam has had a ripple effect in the LoC town of Line of Control is once again emerging as a potential flashpoint. As history has repeatedly demonstrated, it is the innocent villagers who call these rugged lands home who are invariably the first and the most severely affected by such InTrending Reel IN THIS STORY#Jammu and Kashmir
