Itanagar: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in September said that strengthening India’s military prowess has been the Narendra Modi government’s top priority ever since it came to power since 2014, with focus on equipping the services with state-of-the-art weapons and equipment through an ‘Atma Nirbhar’ defence industry.

Terming the armed forces as the very reason behind the strength and confidence of the nation, he said that India’s “international image has completely been transformed due to the bold decisions taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as the gallant deeds of the armed forces”.

“There was a time when India wasn’t taken seriously on international platforms. Due to the efforts of our Prime Minister, today we have become an assertor from a mere observer. The Indian military is respected all over the globe. Our friendly foreign countries have trust in them. It is one of the major reasons India has emerged as a powerful nation. Today, we are the fifth largest economy in the world, strongly moving forward,” he said while addressing armed forces personnel in Assam’s Tezpur.

Mr Rajnath Singh said that the government’s efforts have resulted in making a strong military which is fully capable of protecting the nation from all kinds of threats. He lauded the armed forces for instilling a sense of national pride and patriotism among the people, especially the youth, by displaying their strength and courage from time to time.