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India the world's most 'dashing and dynamic' economy, says Rajnath Singh
Singh's comments come amid high tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump on goods imported from India.
The speed with which India is moving ahead, no power in the world can stop it from becoming a big power globally, Singh said in his address after performing bhoomi pujan of a rail coach manufacturing unit of the Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) in Madhya Pradesh's Raisen district.
'Today, if any country has a dashing and dynamic economy, it is India's economy,' he asserted.
The defence minister, without naming anyone, said some people are not liking the rapid development of India and are unable to digest it.
"They think that we are everyone's boss and how is India moving forward so fast? Many people are trying to do something, so that when things made by the hands of Indians in India go to countries of the world, they become more expensive than the things made in those countries, and they become so expensive that the people of the world do not buy them," he said.
In 2014, India was at the 11th position in terms of the economy. Today, India is counted among the top four countries of the world (in terms of economy), Singh said.
"If any country has a rapidly growing economy, it is our India," he added.
"It means that the country is moving forward and its people are also moving ahead, because if the countrymen do not move forward, India cannot move forward," he said.
Singh said that earlier, things related to defence production were made in the world, by foreigners, and India used to buy from them.
"But today, many of these things are not only being made on the Indian soil, not only by the hands of Indians, and we are not only fulfilling our needs but we are also exporting to other countries of the world. Countries of the world are buying our goods," he said.
Singh said when Narendra Modi became the prime minister in 2014, only ₹600 crore worth of Indian defence products were exported to other countries.
"But now, we are exporting defence products of more than ₹24,000 crore to countries of the world. This is the power of India. This is the new defence sector of the new India," he pointed out.
Singh also mentioned about the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, in which 26 persons were killed in April, and said India gave a befitting reply to Pakistan, referring to the Indian military's Operation Sindoor.
"People were killed (by terrorists) after being asked to identify their religion. We cannot kill people after asking their religion. We do not believe in murder. We do not even kill ants. We have resolved that we will kill people (terrorists) not by looking at their religion, but by looking at their deeds," he said.
Singh said that India's clear stand is that "we will not spare anyone who instigates us." Referring to the rail coach unit, the minister said it is a big gift for the Raisen and Vidisha region in MP and will provide employment to 5,000 persons.
Madhya Pradesh is moving ahead rapidly in terms of industries as the state has recently received an investment proposal of more than ₹30 lakh crore, he noted.
"If the leadership is excellent, development happens rapidly. I think that after a few years, people will start calling Madhya Pradesh a modern state," Singh said.
When this unit is ready, the surrounding area will also develop rapidly, he added.
Earlier, Singh performed the bhoomi pujan of the BEML's rail coach unit to be built at a cost of ₹1,800 crore at Umaria village in Raisen district.
The project has been named BRAHMA (BEML Rail Hub for Manufacturing) and its initial production capacity will be 125 to 200 coaches per year, which is targeted to be increased to 1,100 coaches per year in five years, as per officials.
MP Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and other dignitaries attended the bhoomi pujan programme organised at the Dussehra Ground in Obedullaganj near Umaria.
A video message of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was broadcast during the programme.
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