India News | World Taking Note of India's Progress in Defence Manufacturing: MoS Bhatt

Kota (Rajasthan) Sep 12 (PTI) The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Defence Public Sector Undertakings of the country are taking such huge strides that the world is taking note, Union minister Ajay Bhatt said on Monday.

He was speaking to reporters after inaugurating the two-day National Defence MSME conclave and exhibition, aimed at bringing various works done by MSME and DPSUs into public domain, on Daussehra Ground here.

Also Read | Indian Govt Working on Developing Electric Highways Powered by Solar Energy, Says Nitin Gadkari.

Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Minister of State for Defence claimed that his initiative 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' turned the country from a major importer of defence equipment to an exporter, saying India earned Rs 38,500 crore in five years by manufacturing and selling equipment and apparatus to foreign countries.

Referring to a survey conducted in 2020, he said India was now among the top 25 countries that export defence equipment and apparatus.

Also Read | Inflation Rises to 7 Percent Due to High Food and Fuel Prices, Factory Output Plunges to 2.4 Percent Low.

"India stands third in defence budget. We are no longer weak at any point and with we are quickly becoming a world power," he said.

Earlier, Lok Sabha Speaker and Kota-Bundi MP Om Birla, along with Bhatt, inaugurated the conclave-cum-exhibition.

The Kota region is filled with infinite possibilities for MSME entrepreneurs. Efforts are underway to give the sector a new fillip with government and private firms pumping big money into the sector, he said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)