Our naval might confined Pakistan to its ports: Rajnath Singh

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi was also present on the occasion.

The Defence Minister said, “It is not just an architectural design or a product of structural craftsmanship, it rekindles a sense of gratitude we hold for our soldiers. The idea is to awaken the zeal for nation building among our youth.”

Singh hailed the Indian Navy for its “robust presence and operational readiness” at sea, underlining that amid the present geopolitical turmoil, the key to global peace and prosperity lies in securing maritime routes.

Commending the Navy’s “exceptional contribution” alongside the Army and the Indian Air Force during Operation Sindoor, he said: “Our Navy’s formidable posture in the Arabian Sea instilled a constant sense of fear in the mind of the adversary. As a result, the Pakistan Navy remained confined to its ports.”

He added, “India can truly be considered powerful when our defence forces do not have to depend on other nations for their weaponry. Through initiatives such as Make-in-India, Defence Industrial Corridors, Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) and Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX (ADITI), we are indigenously manufacturing state-of-the-art weapons, and exporting them to friendly nations.”

He claimed the domestic defence production in 2014 was Rs 46,000 crore which now increased to over Rs 1.51 lakh crore and aims to soon touch the Rs 1.75 lakh crore figure. Defence exports have reached to about Rs 40,000 crore, he said. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was also present.